An Ill Wind
by neverenough04
Summary: A rare Tornado Warning has been issued for Storybrooke, and Emma and Regina seek safety together in the basement of the police station. Their time together lasts a lot longer than they had envisioned when they find themselves trapped in the dark cellar. They have gone from enemies to friends to...something else. SwanQueen
1. Chapter 1

"A what?" Emma asked no one, glancing at her phone. A noisy alert had interrupted her ritualistic mind-numbingly tedious paperwork. "Tornado watch. Huh. Yeah, ok, I'll believe it when I see it."

The morning had started off hotter and stickier than usual. The afternoon brought the town to a slow boil. A thunderstorm was coming, no question about it. But a tornado? In Storybrooke, Maine? Nah.

Regardless of her disbelief, Emma stood up and walked to the front door of the station. She poked her head out and looked up at the sky. Mostly sun, with a few looming clouds in the distance. She shrugged, refilled her mug with the weak coffee stagnating in the pot, and returned to her desk.

"Hey Em," David called as he flung the door open. "Hot as a bitch out there."

Emma nodded, giving him a half-hearted wave. She could hear muffled rumbles of thunder, presumably coming from miles away. The sun was still blazing down on Storybrooke and she was still entering data into the department database.

"I just got a text from your mom. She wants to know if she should dismiss the kids from summer school. I don't know why everyone is freaking out, this isn't our first tornado watch. We get at least one or two a summer," David mused, quickly hammering out a text reply.

"I think it's because there were some touchdowns in upstate New York last night. The news was all over it. But I agree with you, we're _not_ going to see a tornado."

David shrugged. "Well, I'm going to take off for the night. Henry still staying over at our place?"

"Yeah, he's probably there already. He's helping mom with some project she's doing with the summer school kids. I'll head out soon, too."

"Okay. Tell Killian I said hi," David said, giving Emma a quick kiss on the head before he left.

Emma sighed heavily and sat back down, finishing up for the day. She keyed in her last entries, straightened papers so her desk didn't look so disheveled, and dumped the remnants of her cup into the sink. She started switching off the lights when she heard the door open once again.

"Emma?"

"Regina, hey. Everything ok?" Emma asked, unconsciously straightening her sweaty blue t-shirt.

"Yes. Everything's fine. I just wanted to check on the Keystone report. I have a meeting with them tomorrow morning." Regina raised her eyebrows expectantly as Emma fumbled around the outbox sitting at the edge of her desk.

"Ah, here it is. I was going to drop it off on my way in tomorrow," Emma lied, thankful Regina stopped by. She had forgotten about it completely.

Emma watched as Regina flipped through the sheets of the report, nodding slowly at each turn. Over the past year their relationship had ebbed and flowed; lately it had seemed to be ebbing.

It was not lost on Emma that when she and Regina were at their most comfortable, laughing, talking, sharing, and really connecting, was when Regina invariably pulled away. A few months ago they had been sitting out on Regina's back porch, drinking wine and discussing Henry's college plans. Regina felt it was never too early to start vetting school choices. Emma didn't really care which school he chose either way, as long as he chose one, but she wanted to appear invested. Their conversation had drifted into the past, as it sometimes did, mortal enemy territory.

Warmed and giddy from the alcohol, both women were on the edge of hysteria. "A-and you slammed me up against a locker! I've never been so shocked in my entire life!" Regina laughed.

Emma smiled and threw her head back. "Well, you tried to poison me! If this is a contest, _honey_ , I win!" She slapped her hand down on Regina's leg, and for some odd reason, left it there. Regina covered it with her own.

"What's so funny out here?" Robin asked, standing in the doorway. Emma snatched her hand away like it was on fire.

The lightheartedness immediately drained from both of them. Emma cleared her throat.

"Nothing. Just rehashing some of our…past differences. All in fun," Regina told him, a grin threatening to break through.

"Yeah," Emma agreed, smiling. "I was actually about to get going anyway. See you guys around," Emma said, slipping past Robin and setting her glass in the sink. As much as she tried, she couldn't warm up to him. At all. She didn't notice the blatant disappointment on Regina's face as she left.

It had been like that for a while. They'd have a great time together, experience a closeness between them that was always on the brink of something…and then…nothing. Life would mysteriously get in the way and they would go weeks without seeing each other. It was exhausting, but neither of them were willing to just write the other off. That thought seemed to be off limits.

"This is good. Really good. Thank you," Regina said, snapping Emma out of her reverie. The report. Right. "Have a good night," she told her, still engrossed in the file.

Another alarm blasted through the silence of the station, this time both of their phones screaming in unison.

* AT 648 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO

WAS LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF STORYBROOKE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT

SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. TREE

DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST

FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A

MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER

AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY HIDE THIS TORNADO. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE

TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW!

Regina looked up at Emma with panic in her eyes. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," Emma said. "We don't get tornadoes here. I'm sure it's a false alarm." Emma opened the door and her hair whipped across her face from the intensity of the wind. She looked up to the sky, the earlier sun replaced by greenish-yellow clouds, rotating in a slow circle. Lightning struck somewhere nearby and an explosion of thunder assaulted her ears. "Okay, maybe it's not a false alarm. Shit, this is new. Where's Zelena when you need her?"

"Very funny. I should get home before-"

"No, you can't leave. Haven't you ever seen _Twister?_ God. Can't you just –uh–make this go away?" Emma asked, swirling her finger in the air.

"No, _Emma_ , I cannot. Where is the basement in this godforsaken place?" Regina ran a hand through her hair, anxiety nearly overwhelming her.

"Right. The basement. Come on," she said, taking Regina's hand. Regina did not pull away. Emma led them to the basement door, fighting to release the swollen wood. The door flung open, Emma put her hand on the small of Regina's back to lead her down the stairs. She closed the door tightly behind them, and nearly fell down the stairs while pulling the door closed tightly behind them. She looked down to see the doorknob sitting stupidly in her hand. "Fuck," she muttered.

"Come _on!_ " Regina demanded, pulling at Emma's arm. The howling wind above them continued to intensify, and a constant growling grew louder by the minute.

Emma raced out in front of her, fumbling for Regina's fingers. Regina latched on and followed the sheriff into a dark corner of the basement. "Under here," Emma instructed, pointing below a tool bench that was built into the structure. She snatched some tablecloths that would have to act as pillows from the shelf next to them, and crawled into the small space beside Regina.

"We're okay," she said soothingly, absent-mindedly running her hands through Regina's hair. "Henry is with my parents, and I'm sure they're hunkering down in that jam-cellar-thing under the house. We're all okay."

Regina nodded, blinking back tears. "Maine was supposed to be safe from natural disasters, except for maybe a blizzard once in a while. Not a fucking _tornado,"_ she spat, holding onto Emma's free hand with both of her own. She closed her eyes as Emma continued to smooth her hair, gripping lightly on the back of her neck.

"Such foul language, Mayor. I'm offended," Emma smirked, crinkling her eyes at Regina.

"Shut up, Emma," Regina breathed out, finding her intake of air to be shallow at best.

Everything around them grew quiet. Still. Regina looked slightly relieved, but Emma knew this was probably a bad sign. A very bad sign. Her limited knowledge of weather included the fact that the atmosphere was at its most tranquil before the raging tempest blazed in to destroy. But maybe she was remembering wrong.

Nope. Regina clutched her ears as Emma's own popped in agony. The shifting barometric pressure caused them both to slide in closer together, Regina's head now resting on Emma's chest, her arms encircling her waist. Emma adjusted her position so she could hold onto Regina tightly, burying her head in Regina's apple-scented hair. She felt she could have appreciated the moment a little differently if they weren't seconds away from being swept up into an ungodly abyss.


	2. Chapter 2

While she didn't _really_ believe they were going to die, Emma still shot off a few silent prayers to whoever might be listening. The sound was growing louder and louder. It was common belief that the sound of an oncoming tornado resembled that of a freight train. Emma could now vouch for that.

They could hear creaking and splintering above them. Shattering glass. Thunder continued to reverberate. Even after everything they'd been through –demons, wraiths, curses– this experience was still top five of terrifying moments.

Regina held tightly to Emma as the storm above devoured them. She spoke directly into Emma's ear, above the din, "So, is this how it ends? You and me, curled up together under a table?" Her voice shook with fear, but Emma appreciated her ability to rise above for a little sarcasm.

"I could think of worse ways." Wait, what? Emma widened her eyes, but decided their predicament overruled any stupid thing she could say. Regina definitely wouldn't remember that when this was all over.

After what felt like an hour, but was more likely minutes, the noise finally began to subside. The thunder had gained some distance, and the roar of the twister began to sound like a motorcycle instead of a locomotive.

"Is it over?" Regina asked, lifting her head.

Emma stretched her jaw to unblock her ears. "Maybe. I'll go check."

Regina tightened her grip on Emma's shirt, pulling her back down to her knees. "Don't _leave_ ," she implored, huffing in Emma's direction.

"I'm not, I just want to make sure the storm is over. I'll be right back."

Regina stood, along with Emma, smoothing out the fabric of her pants. Her silky shirt was a lost cause; in that extended position the wrinkles took a stronghold.

Emma walked toward the rickety stairs of the basement, getting about halfway to the top before she remembered the doorknob incident. "Shit," she muttered, taking it from where she dropped it on the stair and trying to force it back on. Wasn't happening. "The doorknob came off when we came down here," she called to Regina. "I have to kick the door in."

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Regina looked almost amused. She crossed her arms and watched Emma stand in some sort of faux karate position.

"Okay," Emma psyched herself up. "UH," she gasped, as her sneaker hit the door. Rather than break in, the door didn't even budge. Emma faltered from the impact, and caught herself on the stone wall before tumbling down the stairs. "Little harder than I expected. No big deal."

"Maybe we should go a different route?" Regina asked, shaking her cell phone back and forth, a smirk teasing her lips.

"We _could_ do that, or I could just break this fucker down," Emma grunted, giving the door another high kick to the middle. When she almost fell, _again_ , she relented. "Fine, do it your way," she mumbled, throwing the doorknob down the stairs.

Regina smiled, and dialed. Call failed. "Huh. No service. Maybe the storm took out the cell tower. I'll try texting." No sooner had she pressed send, the little exclamation point with the circle around it appeared. Not delivered. "No texting either." She walked to multiple areas of the basement, no luck in any of them.

"Let me try mine," Emma said, patting down her pockets. "Shit. I left my phone on my desk."

"Well, that's great," Regina said, her voice taking on a higher pitch. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Nothing," Emma shrugged. "We wait. I'm sure everyone will figure out where we are soon enough."

Along the wall in front of the stairs, boxes were stacked nearly ceiling-high. Emma tucked her hair behind her ears and sorted through the first few. "Ah. Here's some water," she said, pulling out a few dusty bottles of Poland Spring. "These expired in…2011, but it's fine. Water doesn't go bad." She handed them to Regina, who took them with disgust.

"Is drinking water really the smartest idea, considering our…predicament?"

Emma nodded toward the back of the basement, where a yellowed urinal was mounted to the wall, enclosed by crude borders of wood to insinuate privacy.

"Ugh, no," Regina huffed, closing her eyes.

"Just sayin'. It might come in handy, depending on how long it takes them to find us."

"I'll hold it."

"Suit yourself." Emma took the tablecloths she had fashioned as protection and laid them out against the boxes as a makeshift seating area.

"Can't we go out a window? Or, can't _you_ go out a window and open the door from the other side?" Regina asked, eyeing the dirt-caked rectangle on the far side of the basement.

"Nope. Iron bars on the outside of the window. This is a police station, after all. We have to attempt to look secure."

Regina tried her phone again. Nothing.

"It's getting very dark in here," Regina noted, the tiny sliver of light provided by the window waning fast. She tugged on the pull cord of a single lightbulb above her head, hoping that it was just switched off. It wasn't. After several tugs, she let up.

"We can use the light of your phone. I'm sure someone will be here soon."

Emma's optimism annoyed Regina. In this particular situation, a little panic should not be completely ruled out. They had survived an apparent storm of the century, only to die in a drab, spider-filled basement.

"What if there's nothing left?" Regina asked cautiously, not wanting to put that out there, but needing to ask the question.

"Don't be silly," Emma said gently, rubbing Regina's arm. "Everyone is fine, I'm sure of it. It's not like it was an F5."

"EF 5."

"What?"

"They don't use the Fujita scale anymore. They use the Enhanced Fujita scale now. It was implemented about ten years ago."

With a look of confusion, Emma didn't bother to ask Regina how or why she knew that. She shook it off. "Okay, fine. _EF_ 5\. It wasn't. We don't get those here."

"You also said we don't get tornadoes here."

"Regina! I'm not a meteorologist! I don't know for certain that it wasn't an _EF_ 5, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't, and our family is safe." Emma threw her hands up in exasperation and took a seat on the tablecloth.

After a few moments of silence, Regina sat next to Emma, scanning the ceiling for eight-legged creatures and other multi-legged beasts.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be. We've just been through a…thing. I don't mean to be snappy." Emma sighed and took Regina's hand. She found it interesting that Regina never seemed to pull away. And why was she being so touchy-feely all of a sudden? Affection was never one of Emma's strong suits.

"So how are things?" Emma asked, breaking the silence.

Regina laughed. "Good, you?"

"Good, good. Thanks for asking."

Emma cracked open a bottle of expired water and took a long sip. "Want some?"

Regina shook her head.

"How are things with Robin?" Emma asked, looking down at the floral pattern of the tablecloth.

Regina was taken aback, but engaged. "Fine. He wants to move in."

"Do you want that?"

Regina hesitated. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I've been on my own for a very long time. Having Robin around, _all_ _the time_ , seems a little…claustrophobic."

"You have Henry around all the time."

"That's different and you know it."

Emma nodded. "It is." She stretched out her legs and kicked the toes of her sneaker, back and forth, back and forth. "Do you think you'll marry him?"

"Maybe," Regina shrugged. "He's my true love. Tattoo says so."

Emma laughed bitterly. "I don't get you people. Your actual feelings have nothing to do with true love? It's all just predetermined bullshit that you have absolutely no control over? That sounds more like a violent nightmare than a dream come true."

Regina sighed. "No, Emma, it's not just predetermined _bullshit_. I care for Robin. He's a good man, a good father, and he cares for me."

Emma took a long swig. She was battling with herself about how far to take this conversation. She certainly didn't want to piss Regina off, but what good is "friendship" if they can't be honest with each other? Eh, fuck it.

"I noticed you used the word "care" twice in that sentence. Not love. Why?"

"Semantics, Emma. I'm not one to engage in flowery language for the sake of poetry. What difference does it make?"

"I've heard you use the word love. You use it about Henry all the time. You've used it about Daniel. It was just an observation, that's all."

"Well, it was a pointless one."

Silence.

"What about you and Hook? Is it the great love of an age? Do rainbows gather in the sky when your lips meet?" The sarcasm could have been spread with a knife.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Did I ever say that? Did I ever _imply_ that? He's done a lot for me. I know how important sacrifices are to you people, so there you go."

"Your continued use of "you people" is insulting."

"Sorry. To use your words, he's a good man."

"No, he's not. He's caused nearly as much carnage and destruction as I have."

"Past tense. Just like with you."

"You didn't answer my question. Tell me about this once-in-a-lifetime-love that you have for each other." Regina snatched the water bottle out of Emma's hand and took a light sip.

"Stop being an ass, _please._ We just survived a tornado for fuck's sake, do we have to argue?"

Regina cocked an eyebrow. "No, we don't. But you still haven't responded to me."

"Fine. Killian is my heart and soul, my everything. I love him deeply."

A pause. "Is that true?" Regina asked quietly.

Emma hesitated. "I feel like it should be."

"That isn't what I asked."

From above, a loud knocking interrupted their conversation. Emma and Regina both jumped up, listening closely for the declaration of their rescue.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello?" Emma yelled, standing right in front of the basement door. She knocked loudly. "We're down here!" No response. "Shine your light!"

Regina rolled her eyes, but complied. "What good is that going to do?"

"I don't know, maybe they can see it beneath the door." Emma pounded the door again. "We're down here! We're stuck, please open the door!" Another loud bang sounded outside, but Emma suddenly wasn't so sure it was a person. "Hello?" she called again, weakly.

"There's nobody out there, is there?" Regina asked, switching off her light once Emma made it back down the stairs.

"Maybe it was a tree branch or something. I don't hear anybody walking around in there." Emma sighed heavily and sunk back down against the wall.

"If you hadn't had the brilliant idea of enchanting the police station as a "magic-free" zone, we wouldn't be in this mess," Regina complained, rolling up the sleeves of her blouse.

"Oh come on, you were totally on board when we discussed it. What would be the point of a jail cell when half the town would be able to just poof out of it anyway? I apologize that I didn't have the foresight to know that we would be trapped in the basement."

Regina sighed. She actually was on board with the idea at the time, especially after what happened with Zelena. But there was nothing worse than being rendered helpless when a way out literally lay at her fingertips.

She slouched against the wall next to Emma, crossing her legs at the ankles. It was pitch black and it took everything inside of her not to think about what inhabited the basement along with them. Regina may have ruled her subjects with an iron fist, sustained the fear and submission of everyone in her kingdom, carried weighty grudges throughout time untold. But none of that negated the terrifying thought of a Daddy Long Legs crawling up a pant leg.

"Want to play a game?"

"No."

Emma craned her head back against the wall. "You want to try and get some sleep?"

"No."

"Do you want me to just stop talking so we can sit here in silence and pout?"

Regina ignored her. "Why haven't they come yet?"

The question was not unexpected. "Regina, they're fine, I'm sure of it. Maybe their doorknob broke off too. Maybe David and Henry are trying to unscrew the hinges of the door right now."

"Come on, Emma. I'm serious." Regina rubbed her arms vigorously, suddenly feeling chilled.

Emma slid closer to her. "I am too. I mean, their doorknob probably didn't fall off. But who knows what they're doing. They might be wondering why _we_ haven't shown up to help them yet. Henry is a resourceful kid, no one knows that better than you. Maybe they're out there helping people who are in real trouble."

Regina nodded, though Emma probably couldn't see her. The thought of them out there helping people was a comforting one, even if she didn't fully believe it. They were stuck in a basement, yes, but their lives weren't in danger.

In an uncharacteristic advance, Regina shoved her pride aside and leaned her head on Emma's shoulder. She felt the other woman stiffen immediately, and couldn't help the wicked grin that spread across her mouth. Truth was, she needed to feel close to someone. Someone. Emma.

Emma's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't sure how to react. The proverbial butterflies flitted like crazy, but she chalked it up to situational nervousness. That was the only thing that made sense. Once she convinced herself that Regina just needed a little reassurance, Emma slid her arm out and tucked it around Regina's shoulder, pulling her closer. Regina offered no resistance. They sat there for a few minutes, in total silence, more comfortable than either one of them would ever admit.

Regina spoke first. "I really do care for him."

"Okay," Emma said, unsure where this was going.

"I think it's me. After what happened all those years ago, the path I took after it…I think maybe I'm just meant to accept and embrace mediocrity."

Emma's eyes widened at the admission, but she didn't want to focus on it. Yet. "It's not you, Regina. Just because you didn't fall into some passionate love affair with a guy you were _supposed_ to be with doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you. It's kind of like an arranged marriage. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't."

Regina snuggled further into the nook of Emma's shoulder, because obviously that's what friends who keep a meaningful distance do. "I feel pathetic even admitting this, but I feel almost…ungrateful. That so many years after I blew it, the man I was destined to be with shows up in my life, willing and _wanting_ to be with me even after everything that I've done," Regina said, unconsciously toying with the hem of Emma's t-shirt. "Who am I to have any reservations at all? It should be him, not me."

"Bullshit. _Bull. Shit._ You never have to feel _grateful_ that somebody love you. I've seen you at your worst, many, _many_ times," Emma ignored Regina's scoff, "and I've seen you at your best. You at your best, Regina…anyone would be _lucky_ to have you. I mean that. You are not damaged goods. You are not less than. You deserve love, _real_ love, as much as anybody else."

Regina blinked back a tear threatening to fall. "Thank you, Emma. That means more to me than you could ever know." She reached up her arms and pulled Emma into a hug. Emma responded, pulling Regina tight to her chest. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the scent of her hair, the softness of her skin against Emma's cheek. Because that is what friends do.

"You're lucky," Regina whispered, pulling away slowly, resuming her position on Emma's shoulder. "I know it was pretty one-sided in the beginning, with you and Hook, but obviously he was able to break through. I'm glad that you found your happiness." Regina trailed off on her last word, sadness filling the stagnant air. "I suppose I was able to break through too. You don't seem to hate me anymore," she said, chuckling softly.

Emma had felt many things for Regina over the years. Oddly, hate was never one of them. She had been enraged, suspicious, competitive, frustrated, confused, and fearful. She had also felt sympathy, concern, amusement, appreciation, fondness…and other things. Never hate.

"I never hated you," Emma told her, squeezing her shoulder. "I've wanted to kill you a few times, but I've never hated you." She grew serious. "Killian is adventurous and loyal. He's shown time and time again he would put himself in harm's way to protect me. I thought if I just let my walls down and let him in, this connection would magically develop and everything would suddenly make sense. Everybody, well, almost everybody, was so gung-ho for this relationship. It was always me. I was the one who was closed off and I was the one who wouldn't allow myself to be happy. So I gave in. I made it real."

"Is it real?"

"Real enough."

They were silent for a moment. Emma took a haul off her expired water, and handed it to Regina. Seemingly forgetting about the dirty urinal, Regina also took a long sip.

"So what are we doing wrong?" Regina asked quietly. She sat up and made semi-circles with her neck, loosening the muscle tightness that had developed from her position on Emma's shoulder. Feeling Regina's movements, Emma reached out and began massaging Regina's neck with her thumb and index finger. Regina 'mmm-ed' in approval, which made Emma shift a little.

"I don't know," Emma answered honestly, wondering the same thing time and time again. "I just assumed that since I'm a huge fuck-up at most personal things, why should a relationship be any different. I'm trying. I'm giving him all I can. It has to be enough."

"You're not a huge fuck-up, Emma. You're guarded. Something I can highly relate to," Regina said, eyes closed at Emma's kneading fingers. "I'm beginning to think that I expect too much. I haven't really been with anyone for a long time. I was young. Maybe that fire and excitement that I imagine only exist in youth. I'm longing for something that I can never have - it isn't real."

Emma stilled her fingers. She let them fall slowly to the middle of Regina's back, where she turned her slightly. Emma's other hand found its way to Regina's cheek. She ran her thumb slowly along Regina's jawline. "I think maybe it _is_ real," Emma whispered, nearly choking on her words. She inhaled deeply and leaned forward, her lips brushing against Regina's.

Regina gasped lightly, taken by complete surprise. She didn't push her away; she grabbed Emma's wrist and tilted her head, spreading her lips as an invitation. Emma quickly accepted. She could feel the heat within her rise as her lips explored the warmth and wetness of Regina's mouth, Regina's tongue gliding along her bottom lip, teasing her into oblivion. Emma moved forward again, sliding her hands underneath Regina, pulling her up and forward so that she was sitting in Emma's lap, contact never broken. She could feel Regina's hand tugging slowly at the back of her shirt, and all rational thought was officially abandoned.

Sweat and darkness and desire consuming them, they almost didn't hear the voice from above, until it grew frantically closer.

"Mom? _Mom?_ Emma, Regina?" Henry's muffled voice drifted down to their occupied ears. Emma and Regina stopped immediately, in the same position, still as stone.


	4. Chapter 4

Snapping back to reality, Regina jumped up off of Emma, tugging her shirt back into place and carefully wiping the skin around her lips to remove any traces of errant lipstick. "We're down here, Henry!" she yelled, offering a hand to Emma to help her up.

Emma took her hand, and straightened herself up as well. It was still very dark, but her eyes had adjusted enough to see the outline of Regina's hair, enough to know that Regina was looking directly at her. What just happened?

Emma touched Regina's shoulder lightly before running up the stairs, missing a few along the way. She banged on the door. "Henry! Open the basement door!"

"I'm coming!" A pause. "There's no doorknob!"

"I know! Get your grandfather!"

They listened as Henry scuffled away, presumably to find rescue. Silence hung in the air like a blanket, thick and suffocating. Regina stood behind Emma, close enough to smell the asphyxiating mixture of shampoo, sweat, and vanilla lotion that Emma had rubbed into her chafed hands. Regina found it mesmerizing.

"I'm here," they heard David yell. Emma found herself reeling with an immense sense of relief, but also one of dread and disappointment. Everything felt different. "Stand back!"

They waited at the bottom of the stairs as David used an aged fire extinguisher to ram down the door. It took him no time at all; his position on a flat floor gave him a lot more momentum than Emma had.

Regina and Emma both squinted at the light that flooded their eyes, even though it was the dim glow of a generator-fueled back up.

There was a flurry of hugs and concern as they entered the bullpen of the police station. The station was in-tact, but a fallen tree had broken the glass of right-side entrance door. It could have been a lot worse.

"Is everyone ok?" Emma asked.

David nodded, then shrugged. "I haven't heard about any injuries or…worse, but we came straight here looking for you two. The roof of our building was ripped clean off. Thank God we were all down in the jam cellar. Your mom tried to call you about a hundred times."

Emma ran a hand through her hair. "We had no service. Figured a cell tower must have been taken down."

Regina was still holding on to Henry's hand. "Were you afraid?"

Henry shook his head. "Not really. I've seen enough disaster documentaries to know what to do. It was _loud_ though. I was mostly worried about you guys. Why didn't you just teleport out of here?"

David spoke up. "They couldn't. Your mom implemented a no-magic zone."

"Which _you all_ approved." Emma countered. They walked outside, where tree branches and debris littered the street. People were milling about, surveying the damage to their properties.

"At least we'll be able to get this cleaned up quickly," Regina said, when they had exited the area of enchantment. She flicked her wrist toward the smashed glass of the station door. Nothing. She frowned.

Emma took over, and aimed her spread fingers toward the mess. Nothing. She also frowned.

"What's up with this?" she asked, her hands raised in question.

"I have no idea," Regina muttered, unable to muster anything.

"I guess we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way," David said, shaking his head. "Although I don't know where we're going to sleep. We currently have no roof."

"Granny's?" Henry suggested.

"Why don't you just stay with us?" Regina said, motioning to herself and Henry. She tried her best to look put-out, but snuck a glance at Emma anyway.

Henry lit up. "Perfect!"

"No, Regina. We don't want to impose. I'm sure Granny can fit us in for a few nights," David said.

"Really? You don't think anyone else in town is going to need a place?" Regina asked, motioning to the wreck that surrounded them.

"True. Thanks, Regina." David squeezed her shoulder. "Emma, can you stay with Killian for a few nights?"

"Why?" Regina asked, quicker than she meant to. "I mean, I have plenty of room. It's not an imposition."

Emma was growing increasingly uncomfortable. She was torn. Part of her wanted to spend the time at Regina's, especially since…that happened. But she also feared that if they just swept it under the rug and pretended like it didn't happen, it would create a tangible tension between the two of them. That was not something she relished being in the same living quarters with.

"Yeah, um, I'll figure it out. Thank you for the invitation. I'll let you know once I see how everyone is doing." Emma kissed Henry on the cheek. "I'll see you later kid, I'm so glad you're safe. Hopefully everyone else is too." Emma caught Regina's eye before walking away to survey the damage.

The tornado, later determined to have been an EF-2 by the National Weather Service with wind speeds of about 113 miles per hour, left a trail of destruction throughout Storybrooke, but it could have been infinitely worse. Houses were damaged, cars were crushed, trees were decimated. But no one was killed or even hurt, aside from Leroy getting hit over the head with a flying bottle of Captain Morgan. Emma was grateful that her town was so lucky.

"Swan!" she heard as she passed by Killian's house. He had virtually no damage, just a few branches in the front yard. Emma waved cautiously. She felt strange seeing him.

He ran down the front walkway and swept her into an off-the-ground hug. "I couldn't get my phone to work. I was worried about you."

"I'm fine. I was with Regina in the police station."

Killian prickled. "Did you try to get in touch with me?"

"Yes," Emma lied. "We had no phone service either. I have to head home. David said the roof was torn from our building. Mom and the baby are at Regina's with Henry. I want to see how bad it is."

"Can't you just "fix" it?"

"That's not working either." Emma tried again, something simple like clearing the brush. Still nothing.

"Huh. Well, you can stay with me. We can play house," Killian told her, waggling his eyebrow.

Emma swallowed hard. "I think I might actually stay at Regina's for the time being. Henry was a little shaken up, and I want to make sure he's ok." She didn't meet his eyes.

"Bring him too. I've got the room."

She hesitated. "No, I'm sure he wants to be with his other mom too. It'll just be for a few nights."

Killian looked crestfallen. "Okay, Swan. Up to you."

She squeezed his arm. "Thanks. I'll check in with you soon, I promise."

Before he could say anything else, Emma quickened her step toward her house. She felt badly for blowing him off, but not badly enough to stay.

David wasn't exaggerating. Emma stood in the kitchen and looked directly into the early morning sky. Without magic, this was not going to be an easy fix. At least the rest of the structure didn't appear to have any damage. She wrung her hands and went to her bedroom to pack a bag. Maybe she should just go to Granny's. She was afraid to go to Regina's, but didn't want to stay with Hook. It was entirely possible that they could have a conversation, laugh about what happened, and resume their flirtatious and close-then-distant-then-close-again friendship. Possible, Emma thought, but not entirely likely. She shook her head to clear away the indecision and insecurity. There was too much going on to think about that now. Regina's house made the most sense.

"How is it out there?" David asked, opening the door of the mansion. Emma dropped her bag at the entrance and walked into the foyer.

"Could be worse. MEMA is coming in later today to survey the damage and to see what kind of relief we can get. People are upset, of course, but everyone seems to be handling it ok. Power will probably be out for a few days."

Regina stood in the doorway to the kitchen, freshly showered and made up. _Priorities_ , Emma thought with a smirk. "Hey."

"Hi." Her eyes travelled to Emma's overnight bag on the floor. "I'm glad you decided to come," she said, fiddling with the cuffs on her shirt.

"Yeah, it made the most sense. And you having a generator doesn't hurt."

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes. I'll just grab a bowl of cereal. I'm exhausted. Aren't you tired?"

"I'm fine. I'm planning on meeting with Emergency Services when they arrive. I want to be in top form when discussing the budget."

"A little sleep couldn't hurt," Emma mumbled, making her way past Regina. David went upstairs to nap before starting his day, so the two of them were left alone in the kitchen.

Regina leaned against the counter while Emma poured herself a bowl of Trix.

"I do have other cereals. More adult ones," Regina smirked, watching Emma fill the bowl to rim with the multi-colored corn puffs.

"Nah. They taste like shit," Emma said, nodding to the boxes of Bran Flakes and Puffed Rice. "This is good."

Emma took a bite and watched as Regina stood there, staring off into space. Emma felt a surge of warmth rush over her, remembering what had taken place just hours before. She cleared her throat.

"So, um, the basement. When we were, um, I think what happened," Emma started, fumbling.

Regina held up a hand. "No. We don't have to talk about this now." She turned and started wiping down invisible spots on the counter with a sponge. "We were in a very stressful situation. We can discuss it later, if you wish. Or, we don't have to talk about it all."

Emma's heart sunk. She had expected it, but she hoped against it.

"I think we should. We can wait until later, that's fine. I'm tired, so if you want to show me the guest room, I'd appreciate it," Emma said, taking a more professional tone than she meant to. She put her empty bowl in the dishwasher and followed Regina up the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina softly clicked her door shut, after stoically showing Emma the guest room and guest bath. Neither of them said much; too much hung in the air between them to make small talk. Emma was right. A little sleep couldn't hurt before the cavalry arrived. She quickly changed into a pair of silk pajamas and checked her hair in the mirror. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she took the time to perfect the falling strands.

Over the years, Regina had felt many things toward Emma. This…this was new. She sat on the edge of her bed, running her fingers over the satin softness of her comforter. She could easily explain the kiss away. They were in a stressful situation, talking about their failed endeavors in love and relationships, and the fine line between love and hate is not just an old cliché. Certainly, Regina realized, that most people in that situation would _not_ have ended up making out on an old tablecloth, but she and Emma were both fiery, if nothing else. That she could explain.

She could not explain the feelings that welled up inside of her when her lips exploded in a shower of electricity at the simple touch of Emma's. There had always been a mild flirtation laced between the insults and arguments, but nothing concrete that let either one know what the other was thinking. That Emma took the initiative and seized the moment…that was brave. Regina smiled to herself, amused that she actually felt a little proud of Emma for capitalizing on the intensity.

All excitement aside, Regina knew this was a ruse, nothing more. Emma was committed to the pirate; Robin was her true love. The words tasted sour, leaving a visible grimace on Regina's otherwise flawless face. Maybe Emma was right. Maybe the whole thing was just a bunch of bullshit conjured up by a medieval romantic with nothing better to do. Were Snow and Charming "true loves" that were destined by fate to weather even the roughest of storms? Or were they two people that just genuinely liked each other and enjoyed being together? Why did everything have to be predetermined by a destiny that didn't care about the genuine desire of its subjects? Regina was beginning to consider that the old world way of thinking belonged there.

Whatever. The reality was, in this world, the real world, there was no viable path to anything more than a casual flirtation in her on-again-off-again friendship with Emma Swan. It was a beautiful moment that Regina knew she would cherish. She didn't know how she would be able to focus on anything else, but she had the good sense to acknowledge it for what it was – a moment.

Regina crawled under the covers and cocooned herself in the warmth and comfort of her bed. She allowed a fitful sleep to consume her, her dreams full of beauty and darkness with no way to distinguish between the two.

 _xxxxx_

Emma sat at the kitchen table, sandwiched between Henry and Snow. There was hustle and bustle and conversation about the cleaning efforts and the rebuilding of the areas that were hit the hardest. Magic still eluded them, and after checking with the others in town who also had abilities, they were dried up too.

"Belle has a theory. She read about something like this happening once when violent weather hit back home. Something to do with the low pressure area in the atmosphere before the twister strikes. It sucks up everything in the cyclonic spin, including the air and whatever's in it. She said she's going to look deeper into it to figure out how long it lasted once everything is fully functional again," David told them, spearing some potato salad onto his fork.

"Hell of a time to be without a little supernatural help," Emma monotoned, barely touching the food on her plate. They all looked up when the doorbell rang.

Henry opened the door, letting Robin and Roland into the foyer. "Mom!" he yelled, "Robin's here!"

Emma felt her heart sink, but managed a smile toward Roland. She couldn't look at Robin. She just couldn't.

Regina came down the stairs, looking completely put-together, as though the nap never existed. She rubbed Roland's arm and met Robin's eyes. "Hi?"

"Hi," he said, smiling. He kissed her on the cheek and lowered his voice. "Roland and I were wondering if we could crash here for a few nights. He's still feeling a little uneasy about what happened. I told him it was over, but I think he'd feel more comfortable with four walls and a roof for the time being."

"Oh Robin, I have the entire Charming family here. Their roof-"

David walked over to them, overhearing the conversation. "Regina, no, we can find another place to stay. It's totally fine."

"You sure?" Robin asked, dropping his duffel bag on to the floor.

"I'm sure, there are plenty of-"

"NO," Regina interrupted, harsher than intended. "Sorry, no. I have plenty of room. You can all stay." She forced a smile and turned to the kitchen, effectively ending the conversation.

Emma sighed heavily. She didn't want to stay. But she didn't want to go. If she left, she felt like she would have to stay with Killian, because staying anywhere else at this point would be an outright slap in his face. And with the swirl of emotions she was experiencing, she had no interest in doing that.

"Great," Robin said, obviously unable to read the room. "I'll go put my bag in your room, Regina. Roland will bunk with Henry, I assume?"

Through gritted teeth, Regina acquiesced. Emma stood up abruptly, knocking a spoon to the floor with a clang. "Sorry," she muttered. "I gotta go."

Emma gave Henry a quick kiss on the head and walked out the door while everyone was still calling out their goodbyes. She did manage to look Regina directly in the eyes before giving the door a light slam.

"Well, this is fun!" Robin said to the full kitchen, grabbing himself a plate from the cabinet.

 _xxxxxx_

"And everyone is accounted for?"

Regina watched as the sheriff approached them, long blonde hair trailing behind her in the wind like they were actors in some kind of shampoo commercial. Her tight black t-shirt clung to every curve and groove. Regina could not pull her eyes away.

"Mayor?"

"Yes. Yes, I apologize. Everyone is accounted for. Mr. Mullen, this is Emma Swan, my sheriff. Sheriff, this is Mr. Mullen, the Resource Unit Leader," Regina introduced, snapping back to reality.

"Nice to meet you. We didn't set up any shelters, as we didn't feel they were necessary. There are some areas that were hit harder than others…"

Emma continued to brief the specialist but Regina was no longer listening. Watching her in full professional mode was all of a sudden a complete turn-on. _What is_ happening _here?_ Regina breathed deeply.

They moved inside to Regina's office to discuss the red-tape minutia. The meeting wrapped when the final budgetary considerations were finished, and Mullen left to finish surveying the area. Emma and Regina were left alone in her office.

"Okay," Emma said sharply. "I'll go see where the contractors are at with the housing repairs."

"Wait."

"For what?"

Regina sighed. "Why are you being so short?"

"Am I?"

"Just tell me."

"I'm not being short. We have a lot of work to do, and I want to get a jump on it. That's it," Emma shrugged.

"You've been cold since you left the house."

"No, I haven't."

Regina looked up to the ceiling. "Yes. You have."

"Nope, I haven't."

"Damn it, Emma!" Regina nearly shouted, slamming her hand down on her desk. "What is your problem?"

Emma was taken aback, but quickly found anger seeping in. Irrational, maybe, but anger nonetheless. "Why did you tell him he could stay there?" That really shouldn't have come out. Emma bit her lip.

"Robin? What was I supposed to say?" Regina paused. "And what does it matter?"

"I don't know why it matters. But it does. It _does._ Because everything is weird right now. And having him there makes it even weirder."

"Emma," Regina said, softening her voice. "David suggested you all leave so Robin and Roland could stay but I didn't want that. What would you have liked me to do?"

"I don't know," Emma said, ashamed at her own petulance. "But maybe I should find someplace else to go until we talk. Or whatever. I'm just really uncomfortable."

"I don't want you to go."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Well, aren't we just a bundle of answers today. This is stupid. We should just talk about it and clear the air so we're not acting like a couple of awkward teenagers."

"I'm not sure-"

"Mayor," Mullen interrupted, knocking of the partially closed door. "Sorry to bother you. Would you mind giving me a tour of your power facility?"

"Certainly," Regina said, straightening her jacket and grabbing her keys. "Sherriff, we can continue this dialog later?"

Emma nodded, not bothering to respond. Regina walked out with the specialist while Emma watched her go, a swirling pit of unease nestled safely inside her stomach. She leaned back in the visitor's chair, closing her eyes and resting her head against the polished wood. She had no reason to be angry at Regina for allowing her _boyfriend_ to stay at her house after a natural disaster had occurred. But she was. She really, really was.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinnertime was chaos. Had recent events not taken place, Emma may have appreciated the familial atmosphere of the dining room. Snow was feeding Neal, Henry and Roland were discussing hover boards, loudly, David and Robin beleaguered the ethic of the newly hired construction company. Emma sat at her end of the table, looking down at her plate. How Regina had thrown together a dinner of this magnitude in such a short time was beyond her comprehension. Regina, still wearing her work clothes, leaned against the counter with her arms crossed. Consternation blanketed her face, not unnoticed by Emma.

"Regina, please come sit. You've done enough today," Snow said, wiping Neal's mouth with a napkin.

"I'm actually not that hungry," Regina told her. "I'll grab something light before bed."

"Well, thank you for this. You are a wonderful host."

Regina smirked. "If anyone had told me two years ago _this_ is what my dinner table would like…"

Snow laughed. "We've come a long way. Emma, can you hand me Neal's spoon?"

Robin and David cleaned up after dinner, while Henry and Roland went to play video games in the living room. Snow took Neal upstairs to give him a bath and get him ready for bed.

"Now?" Emma asked, following Regina into her study. Regina didn't look up. She continued sorting through files on her desk.

"Is now really the best time?"

"No time like the present."

"Emma. If we go missing for any length of time, we will certainly be interrupted."

Emma pursed her lips and nodded. "You're right. I'll call your assistant and schedule some time for late next week."

"Emma-" Regina started, but Emma walked out, closing the door behind her. It wasn't that Regina couldn't understand where Emma was coming from, but she would have appreciated a little understanding of her own. Emma was persistent, there was no denying that.

Later, Regina walked into the living room to find Henry and Emma sitting on the floor, furiously pressing buttons and belittling opponents on the screen. She couldn't help but smile. Roland had petered out and headed upstairs to bed, unable to match the stamina of his teenage friend.

"I'm about ready to call it a night," Robin announced, coming up behind Regina. He rubbed both of her arms and gave her a quick kiss on the back of her neck. "You coming too, honey?"

Emma inhaled deeply and fixated even harder on the screen. Anger bubbled within, and though her rational mind knew she was being unreasonable, it was engaged in a losing battle. "Yeah, Regina," she said, before she could stop herself. "You've had a really long day, you should probably head up to bed with Robin."

Regina's upper lip curled in irritation. "Yes, _Emma_ , you're right. It has been a long day. Good night." She quickly turned on her heels and headed for the stairs, Robin on her tail.

Enraged, Emma put her remote control back under the TV in its hidden drawer. "Sorry kid, I'm played out. We can give it another go tomorrow."

Henry yawned, and put his controller away too. "I'm good too. Night, Mom." He gave Emma a half hug in his usual distracted manner and took the stairs two at a time. Emma stood at the base of the staircase, battling with herself. She really just wanted to pack up her shit and go. Her stomach was on fire, her chest was heavy. But leaving now would pose too many questions she couldn't answer, or wouldn't answer, from the rest of her family. She stomped up the stairs into her guest room and slammed the door.

Regina fastened the buttons on her nightshirt and gave her a hair a toss. She walked into the bedroom from her attached bath to find Robin sitting up in bed, half his body nestled beneath the covers. She plastered on a smile and slid in next to him.

"We could do this every night, you know," he said, spooning her from behind as she reached over to set her alarm. "You just have to say the word." He snuck his hand up beneath her night shirt and rubbed the top her thigh. He began kissing her exposed neck, bringing his hand up to rest lightly on her breast.

Regina covered his hand with her own, stilling his motion. "Robin," she croaked, clearing her throat. "I'm sorry. I'm really tired and would just like to get some sleep."

"What's going on with you?" he asked, backing away. "You're not yourself."

"Nothing," she answered quickly. "I just have a lot on my mind. There's a ton of paperwork to fill out, magic is still eluding us, the town-"

"The town will continue to exist even if you take a night off," Robin interrupted. "You deserve a break, Regina." He resumed kissing her neck and pushed himself closer against her back.

"Robin. Please. Not tonight. I really just need to relax."

"And this isn't a way to relax?"

"I'm too tense."

"I can think of a few ways to ease that tension-"

" _Robin_."

He pulled away, wounded. "Fine, Regina. We'll just go to sleep then." Robin huffed and rolled over, leaving an ocean of space between them. Regina focused on the ceiling, fully aware that sleep would not be within reach any time soon.

Down the hall, Emma sat in a moderately comfortable chair, in the dark. Her oversized Portland Seadogs t-shirt was tucked under knees, her toes curling and uncurling in indecision. She still wasn't sure she wanted to stay the night. The closed door to Regina's room was made of both of iron and cardboard. Too much, not enough. Her texts from Killian remained unanswered.

Startled, Emma heard her door snick softly open. She watched as Regina tiptoed toward the bed, searching for signs of life. She sighed as she realized the bed was empty and made her way back to the door.

"I'm here." Emma broke the silence, her voice direct and not a whisper.

Regina jumped. "Jesus, Emma. Why are you sitting in the dark?"

"What are you doing in here?" Emma asked, ignoring her question.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I."

Regina walked around the bed, sitting on the edge of the side nearest Emma's chair. Even in the dark Emma could tell she was hesitant and uncomfortable.

"Why are you so angry?" Regina asked, voice low and soft.

Emma laughed bitterly. "Not for any rational reason, Regina. I guess I just don't like how we're sweeping this under the rug. Like we always do."

"Neither of us are much good at expressing our emotions, Emma. This should not come as a shock to you."

"Maybe I was just hoping it would be different this time. That we could cut through the bullshit and just say what we're thinking. Feeling. Whatever." Emma tucked her knees under her chin, suddenly feeling chilled.

"We're treading very dangerous waters."

"I know. But I feel like if I don't tread, I'll drown."

"Okay," Regina said, taking in a monumental breath. "I've probably known this for some time, but the other night in the basement confirmed it for me. I find you attractive."

"Same."

Regina rolled her eyes in the darkness. "So we've admitted that we have an attraction toward each other. Is that all you wanted to say?"

"You know it isn't."

"Then why are you making me drag it out of you? Just tell me," Regina demanded, though her heart was pounding out of her chest. She was petrified to hear what Emma had to say; she was even more afraid that she would never hear it.

"This is hard for me, Regina. Not a surprise." Emma sighed. "I think it might be…more than an attraction."

"Mmm?"

"Yeah." Emma fidgeted in the chair, rubbing her thumb over her index fingernail. "It's uh, been a long time coming, I think. Ever since we got back from Neverland. There's been a marked change between us. We went from wanting to kill each other, to…not wanting to kill each other."

"I agree with that. Though "not wanting to kill each other" hardly seems like a ringing endorsement."

"It's more than that. I think about you. A _lot_. After the other night, I literally can think of nothing else."

"Infatuations are fairly common, especially when the object of that infatuation is severely off-limits."

Emma stood, pacing. "It's not an infatuation."

"What about Hook?"

"What about him? I care about him. What about Robin?"

"I care about him."

"Why are _you_ here, Regina? You have your soulmate lying fifty feet away. What are you doing in my room?" Emma bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure she wanted an answer.

"I don't know. I know that sounds like an evasion, but I promise you it isn't. I wanted to see you. I've been thinking about you too…a lot."

"Would you leave Robin?" There. She said it. It's out there in the universe.

Regina was silent. She looked down at the floor. "It's not that easy, Emma. I can't just _leave_ him."

"Why not?"

Regina swallowed hard. She knew this was not going to be well-received. "Emma. What if this is…a fleeting fascination? We have a definite Romeo-Juliet _thing_ going on here, and I won't deny it, I've thought about how this could possibly work and the effects that it would have on our lives. But you must understand my hesitation in imploding everything I have worked for for a maybe."

She was correct. Emma was not pleased. "Well, that hurt."

"Would you be so quick to walk away from Killian?"

Emma paused, thoughtful. "I don't know."

"Then I guess we're left with that. We can both acknowledge that there may be something between us, an attraction, a spark. But we should probably let sleeping dogs lie. We're very different people. We've finally figured out this co-parenting thing. And let me be perfectly clear. I cherish you, Emma. Our friendship means the world to me. I've gone from cursing your very existence to being at my most comfortable in your presence. Please don't misunderstand me."

Emma nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I feel the same way. You've become an important fixture in my life. That will never change." She ran a hand through her hair. "Promise me one thing though? Don't have sex with him tonight."

Regina chuckled sadly. "I can promise you that."

"Okay. Good night, Regina."

"Good night, Emma."

Emma walked past her to climb into bed. Before she reached it, she felt a hand grasp her wrist, sharply tugging her backwards. She was about to ask what was wrong, but before she could form the words, she felt Regina's other hand clasp the back of her neck and pull her face forward. Their lips collided in a fury, Regina wasting no time in thrusting her tongue forward, running it along the length of Emma's lips. Emma moaned, nipping the tip of Regina's tongue with her teeth, the entire conversation forgotten. Regina pushed Emma down onto the bed, crawling on top of her with both knees spread above Emma's thighs. Emma grabbed the top of Regina's shirt in her fist, pulling her firmly down on top of her. She moaned again when she felt Regina's body mesh with her own, her focus obliterated by the heat of their touching skin. Regina took both of Emma's hands and pinned them above her head, running her tongue down Emma's jawline, over her earlobe, over the taut muscles of her neck. Emma trembled with a sharp intake of breath, and subconsciously thrust her hips forward, silently begging for Regina's touch. Regina slowly made her way back to Emma's mouth, where their groans mingled in a furious tangle of lips and tongue. Freeing her hands, Emma wrapped them tightly around Regina's back and flipped their positions in a single smooth exchange. Regina was taken aback, but smiled into Emma's lips. Emma did not break contact, but positioned herself on top so that she could slowly start undoing the buttons that kept hidden what she most anticipated. Regina arched her back upright to aid Emma in her quest.

"Regina?" called a hushed voice. "Regina?"

Emma toppled off of Regina in a flash, an abysmal swirl of sensations flowing throughout her body. Regina leapt from the bed, re-buttoning the few that were undone, clearing her throat in panic.

She flung the door open, frustration, anger, and longing threatening to break her.

Robin stood on the other side, shirtless and tousled. "Everything ok?"

"Yes, Robin, everything is _fine,_ " Regina answered curtly. She didn't mean to snap at him, but at that moment her self-control was non-existent.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, peering around the corner. Emma was sitting in the chair again, looking at the disheveled sheets and cursing Robin with every ounce of unusable magic that she possessed.

"I had to check on something." Regina thought quickly. "I wasn't sure if I had only left one pillow in here. Emma mentioned that her neck was bothering her, so I was making sure she had enough to keep her…elevated." Not her best work, by a long shot. Emma stifled a laugh by turning it into an exaggerated cough.

Robin looked confused, but accepted the explanation. "Okay. I was worried when I saw you weren't next to me. You ready?"

Regina nodded slowly. She let Robin get a few paces ahead of her before poking her head back into Emma's room. "Good night, Emma."

"Night, Regina," Emma whispered. It was going to be a long, _long_ night.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, you're not going to postpone? Good. No, I think you should stick with the plan. Everything is just about back to normal," Emma said into the receiver, twirling the phone cord around her fingers. She stifled a yawn, lest Ruby think she was boring her. Emma brought her feet down from her desk, afraid she'd slip into a coma if she got too comfortable.

"I was afraid D was going to have some sort of PTSD episode with the whole tornado thing. She handled it like a champ though. I was the one with my head under her shirt," Ruby laughed.

With the chaos of the last few days, Emma had nearly forgotten about Ruby and Dorothy's wedding. She was truly happy her friend had found happiness, and she'd been excited to be Ruby's Maid of Honor in their ceremony. She tried to recapture some of that excitement for Ruby's sake, but her mind was swirling with images of a certain mayor. And consequently, a certain pirate.

Emma reassured Ruby again that there was no reason they should postpone, and that by Saturday everyone would welcome the distraction of a joyous occasion. Ruby took the advice to heart and felt confident in her decision. They hung up, and Emma flopped her head onto her desk.

Last night. Last night kept playing on a repeating loop through her mind. What would have happened if Robin hadn't interrupted them? Would things have escalated? Would either of them have come to their senses and stopped it before it went too far? _Too far._ Too far was such a subjective notion. With Regina, Emma wondered if anything they did would ever be far enough. If anything _could_ ever be far enough.

"Good morning, Sherriff."

The silence was broken by a familiar sultry voice. Emma snapped her head up quickly and pretended to look through a file. She couldn't help but smile when she caught Regina's eye.

"Good morning, Mayor. I am diligently working on those reports you requested."

Regina snickered. "I can see that, Sherriff. Do wipe off any errant drool before you submit those to me, would you?"

"Certainly." Emma shifted in her seat. "So, uh, I can't say that I'm not thrilled to see you, but did you need me for something?"

Regina's smile faded as she took the seat in front of Emma's desk. She adjusted the collar of her crisp white blouse and crossed her legs. "You snuck out early."

Emma nodded, running her hands up the sides of her face. "I figured I should get an early start today. And if we're being totally honest, I didn't feel like sitting down for a family breakfast with you and Robin."

"It's complicated, which I realize is an understatement. I thought maybe I should," Regina paused to clear her throat, fumbling for words in a very uncharacteristic move, "Apologize. For last night. I seem to have complicated things even further. We had reached an understanding, and I-"

"Stop," Emma interrupted. "I don't want your apology. It was real, it was honest, and it was…amazing."

Regina couldn't help the blush coloring her cheeks. "It was, I'll grant you that. But it certainly didn't help matters. We both agreed – there's too much at risk."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't remember agreeing to that."

"Your agreement was in your indecision."

Emma sighed, looking up to the ceiling. "So, that's it? We just pretend nothing ever happened and go on with our lives? I'm not sure I know how to do that."

Regina looked down, smiling sadly. "I'm not saying that we pretend it never happened. We both know it did. I can honestly tell you that _I_ won't forget what happened, but yes, I suppose we just 'go on with our lives' as you suggest."

The door clanged open and David walked in with a box full of pastries. "Hey Emma, you took off before I saw you this morning. So unlike you to be the first one in," he chided, and looked to Regina. "You left in a hurry too, I didn't get a chance to thank you for that omelet this morning. Your cooking skills alone are worth the price of admission," he smiled broadly, the sullen atmosphere unnoticed.

"Thanks, Dad. I'll take those," Emma said quietly, taking the stuffed box of sweets out of his hands. She opened the box and laid them out on the card table. "We don't have any more napkins in the kitchen. I'll get some from the supply closet." She looked at Regina, trying not to feel too much at the idea of just moving on from her. It's not like they were in a relationship or had even discussed the possibility of it. But there was something, a lot, too much, in the way their bodies connected. It would have been easy to write it off as a blatant and griping physical attraction, nothing more. Regina was easily the sexiest woman Emma had ever seen. Ever in her life. All thirty-two years. And Emma had learned from early on to keep anything more at bay; emotions lead to heartache. After much uncertainty and definite ass-dragging, she opened herself up to Killian. Mostly. In some insane parallel universe, this actually felt _easier._ What she felt when she was with Regina frightened her, but excited her in a way she was completely unfamiliar with.

Inside the supply closet, Emma could see the paper goods peeking out from the top shelf. She leaned up on tip-toes to grab them when she heard the supply room door close. She startled, and nearly lost her balance.

Regina stood against the door, her hands behind her back. "I know you have to get back to work, so do I. I just felt like we left things…unfinished. I wanted to tell you again that even though we can't do this-"

Emma didn't let her finish. She purposefully took the three strides to where Regina was standing and lifted her off the ground, hands firmly gripped around her backside. Without missing a beat, Regina dropped her head to Emma's, letting their lips collide. Emma moaned softly, tightly bottled emotion threatening to escape. If this was going to be the last time, she was damn well going to take advantage of it.

Though she had every intention of saying goodbye to Emma uneventfully before returning to her office, maybe offering her a hug if the moment allowed, Regina wrapped her legs around the blonde's waist, her heels falling to the floor with an unceremonious clunk. She threw her head back to capture a quick hit of oxygen before returning to the waiting lips in front of her. She tangled her hands in Emma's hair, feeling even more breathless as Emma kissed her way down Regina's jaw, landing firmly on her neck. Emma pushed Regina up against the door forcefully, wanting their bodies as close as possible before she let her go. Regina jerked backward, grunting from the hard sting blended so sweetly with the decadence of Emma's mouth. Emma let her down gently, the cool surface of the floor greeting Regina's shoeless feet. Lost inside of the heat, Regina brushed the palm of her hand gently against Emma's breast, seeking permission while their mouths continued to devour in earnest. Emma moaned before stilling her hand.

Breathlessly, she smiled into Regina's mouth. "David," she muttered. "His desk is right outside."

Regina pouted, starting soft ministrations once again. "I don't care."

"Did Regina leave?" David called, as if on cue, causing both of them to freeze. "She didn't say was going." A beat. "Emma?"

Emma clamped a hand over Regina's mouth as Regina began to giggle, her hair mussed and her lipstick ruined and her clothes completely disheveled. Emma tried not to laugh as she answered. "No, she was helping me find the napkins. We're in here. Everything is a fucking mess in this place," she told him, smiling widely at the ridiculousness of their situation.

"I think they're on the top shelf," he said, trying to plow through the closed door. Emma pushed Regina into it with her body weight, effectively shutting it in his face.

"Ow!" Emma yelled for no reason at all, still with her hand over Regina's mouth, who now had tears streaming down her face. Her muffled laugh caused Emma to guffaw, and then clear her throat quickly. They were being absurdly obvious, but at that moment, Emma didn't much care.

"Oh sorry! Are you ok?" David asked, pushing on the door again, easier this time.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Um. We found them." Emma opened the door slowly, holding up the bag of flimsy paper napkins.

Regina stood to the side, straightening herself out, putting her shoes back on, still trying to maintain an air of control in front of David. "You two should really tidy this place up. Really, it took a Mayor and a Sherriff twenty minutes to find napkins? That's disgraceful." Regina smiled calmly and walked out of the closet, not another word to either of them.

David looked confused. "Is she serious?" he asked, thumbing toward the sound of Regina's clacking heels.

Emma ran a hand through her hair and self-consciously wiped her mouth. "Yeah, I think so. She was pretty pissed," she said, shrugging. She took the napkins and threw them carelessly on the table next to the pastries.


	8. Chapter 8

"It's back," Regina said, greeting Emma in her foyer. She held out her hand for Emma to see the swirling purple shimmer.

It was late. Emma had stayed at the station as long as possible to avoid dinner, once again unsure if she would be able to handle Robin making googly eyes at Regina all evening. The hot dog she had microwaved for herself sat in her stomach like lead.

"Good," Emma sighed, removing her dirty boots before she tracked mud all over Regina's tile. She wiggled her fingers and saw the white sparkle, pleased with this new development. "This will make the rebuilding efforts a hell of a lot easier." It also meant that it would be time to move out of Regina's house and back to the apartment. Emma's emotions were mixed; she didn't want to leave Regina, but she certainly didn't want to be around the painful domesticity, real or imagined.

"It will," Regina said, distracted. "We can begin working on that tomorrow. Henry and Roland are in bed, and you parents just went up a few minutes ago."

"So it's just us?"

Regina shook her head.

Robin came out of the kitchen holding a bottle of wine. "Babe, do you mind if I open this one?"

"That one's fine," Regina said, and Emma couldn't help but feel a pleasurable little jolt at the coolness of her tone.

Emma followed Regina into her study, where they sat side by side on her leather sofa. "David thought you were really mad this morning," Emma told her, smirking.

"Good."

"He did keep looking at me funny. I wondered if he actually knew what was going on, but I think he would have said something. Maybe he thought we were fighting."

"I really did follow you in there to talk to you. You _have_ to stop being so irresistible. You're disrupting my impeccable sense of order and stability." Regina smiled at her and winked seductively.

"I literally kept think-"

"Here we go," Robin interrupted, sitting on the other side of Regina with three wine glasses in his hand. He poured one for himself and one for Regina and handed an empty glass to Emma.

She suppressed an eye roll and filled her own glass, nearly to the brim. She took a long sip and closed her eyes.

Robin placed a hand on Regina's thigh and gave it a squeeze. "Roland is really loving spending all this time with Henry."

Regina looked at his hand, then at Emma. At this point, she didn't even know how to react. It was all so awkward and uncomfortable, but he really wasn't doing anything wrong. She couldn't take her discomfort out on him. It wasn't fair.

Emma could see the uneasiness in Regina's face. Rather than walk away and be the bigger person, easing Regina's disquiet, she decided she would add to it.

"Yes, Regina," Emma added, placing her own hand on Regina's other thigh. "Your hospitality has been amazing. We all appreciate you allowing us to stay here. _Temporarily._ "

 _What is she doing?!_ Regina thought, her eyes growing large. Neither of them made a move to take their hand away. Robin raised his eyebrows, but did not address Emma directly. Their mutual...indifference for each other was never so obvious.

"About that," Robin began, putting his glass down on the coffee table. "Regina and I have been talking about making things…not so temporary," he said, smirking in Emma's direction.

"You have?"

"We have?" Regina sat up straighter.

His smile faltered a little. "Uh, yes, Regina. Remember? How much easier it would be?"

Emma stood abruptly. "Okay, I'm out. You two obviously have a lot to discuss." She glared at Regina for a split-second, burning a hole through her. She picked up her glass of wine angrily, splashing some over the side. She looked down, ignored it, and walked quickly out of the room toward the stairs.

Robin and Regina both watched her go. "What's her problem?"

Regina shook her head. "Why would you bring that up in front of her?"

"Bring what up? Us living together? Why _wouldn't_ I bring that up in front of her?" Robin asked, confusion washing over his unshaven face.

"We haven't decided on anything," Regina told him, side-stepping his question. "I don't think we should be discussing personal matters in front of my guest. It's impolite."

"She's your friend. I assumed you had already brought up the possibility of us moving in together. We're soulmates for god's sake. Even if you didn't tell her about it, that's our obvious path," he said, nuzzling into her hair.

Regina stood. "Whoa. I'm just feeling a little…suffocated. With everything that's being going on, I honestly haven't been giving this," she gestured between the two of them, "much thought. I'm very busy, there's still a lot of work to do, and I'm _stressed_ out about it, okay?"

Downing the rest of his wine, Robin sat back and nodded. "Glad to know where I fall in the list of priorities."

"Robin, don't be dramatic. I just can't right now. Please, just let it go for tonight."

Robin stood, kissing Regina lightly on the lips. "We'll talk when things get back to normal. I love you."

Regina concealed a frown by grimacing and squeezed his hand. "I'll be up soon."

XXXX

Waiting what she deemed an appropriate amount of time for Robin to fall asleep, Regina made her way up to her bedroom. She stopped at the closed door that obscured the real reason for her indecision and uncertainty.

She heard the door unlock without even making her presence known. Regina pursed her lips and turned the knob slowly. She was accosted the second she made her way through the door.

"Thank god, I've been waiting for you," Emma said breathlessly, pushing Regina against the door. She immediately dug her hands into soft brown hair and pressed her lips to the other woman's. Regina moaned softly and wrapped her arms around Emma's waist. The hungry fervor became softer and exploratory, their lips and tongues teasing and nipping lightly.

Before she lost control, which she was already on the verge of doing, Regina pulled away slowly. "Emma," she whispered, taking her wrists and bringing them down to rest in between them. "What are we doing?"

"Kissing."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. I meant in the broader sense."

Emma sighed heavily and dropped onto the bed. "We've tried talking about this. We always end up in the same place. Bad idea, lives ruined, different worlds, blah, blah, _blah."_

"Well, we can't just keep doing this."

Feeling some of her resentment at the earlier conversation creep back in, Emma decided to be direct. "Did you ask him to move in?"

"No. It's been on the table for some time, but nothing has been discussed recently. I think him staying here has brought it back to the forefront."

Emma swallowed hard. "When we all leave tomorrow morning…is he leaving too?"

Thick silence filled the air. Reinga opened her mouth, then closed it again. She was walking a delicate line. "I don't know."

Emma's face fell. She sucked in a breath. "Yeah. I suppose everything will go back to status quo now that our ordeal seems to be over. I'm having dinner with Killian tomorrow night. And then we have Ruby's wedding on Saturday."

Regina bristled. "Oh? Dinner?"

"I've really been blowing him off the last few days. For obvious reasons," Emma laughed bitterly. "But this puts it all in perspective."

"Mm-hm." Regina quirked an eyebrow. "Well, have fun tomorrow night. Since you'll probably gone by the time I make it downstairs tomorrow morning, I'll see you Saturday at the wedding."

Emma flipped the covers and scrunched down, facing away from Regina toward the wall. "Yup, see you then."


	9. Chapter 9

The hall was impressive. Between the thousands of twinkling lights and multitude of flowers, the banquet room had been turned into a romantic fantasy. Emma checked herself in the gigantic mirror outside the dressing room, her red, floor-length, A-line dress both classy and provocative. With her hair swept up off her neck and small earrings catching the light, Emma wasn't sure of the last time she had felt so "pretty".

The seats were filled, the music was starting, and Archie was standing at his post, waiting for the brides to walk down the aisle. Emma stood next to the white-latticed arbor, smiling at her friend. Ruby was glowing.

Four rows back, another set of eyes were glued to Emma. Regina couldn't help but gape. Emma looked absolutely ethereal. Robin rested his hand on her knee while the traditional organ music filled the hall, and it took everything Regina had not to brush it off of her.

Emma quickly scanned the guests, the usual crowd in attendance along with some people she didn't know. Dorothy's guests, most likely. She rested her eyes on the alluring brunette, who she saw kept glancing her way. She had avoided anything to do with Regina the previous day, after their little spat in Regina's guest room. Emma knew she was being unreasonable. She couldn't expect Regina to just break up with Robin so they could move in together and play happily-ever-after. Especially when she was being so vague about her intentions with Killian. And the guilt was starting to creep in. The first time, maybe even the second time, Emma could chalk it up to being in the moment and reacting to an unusual situation. But the third and fourth? There was no logical, reasonable, or ethic-teetering reason that she could come up with. Nothing. There were feelings there. What they amounted to was still an unknown, but they were undeniably there.

Her dinner with Killian last night had been awkward and unusually brief. She blamed it on being tired and just wanting to get home after staying at Regina's. He was understanding enough, but Emma knew he could sense something else was going on. The conversation had been surface, mainly focusing on the rebuilding efforts and rarity of that type of weather. They shared a quick peck on the lips before Emma took off, where she spent the majority of the night staring up at her ceiling.

Emma watched as Ruby and Dorothy exchanged vows in a very traditional and lighthearted manner. The crowd erupted when the brides leaned in to kiss and Emma actually had to wipe a tear away. She momentarily forgot her own drama while she watched her friend melt into the arms of her uncomplicated love.

Sitting at the head table had its perks, since seating arrangements might have posed a problem. She saw that Regina and Robin had been seated at the same table as Snow, David, and Killian. Regina played with the label on Robin's beer bottle while Robin, David, Snow, and Killian were engaged in a laugh-filled conversation. Emma could almost feel her heart break at the sight of her sadness.

Without saying anything, Regina dropped the sticky pieces of paper onto the table and headed outside to the veranda. She adjusted her dress, classic and black. She was drowning in her discomfort.

Emma watched as Regina opened the glass doors and a breeze blew her dark hair. She stood up when Ruby stopped her.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked, unable to wipe the grin from her face.

"I was just going to get some fresh air," Emma shrugged.

"You can't leave now, the father-daughter dance is starting. Well, uncle-daughter. Dorothy said he's so nervous," Ruby chuckled.

Emma smiled. "I'll be right back. I promise," Emma told her, giving her hand a squeeze.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Okay. We won't get into this now, because it's my wedding and all, but you and I are going to have a sit-down real soon. Something is totally up with you."

Rather than spend the time denying it, Emma nodded, and walked quickly to the door, happy that her family was still engaged in conversation. She didn't need anyone following her to once again ask what was wrong.

Emma followed the stone path toward the veranda, where an ornately decorated archway stood at the entrance. The ocean was crashing along the rocks, the steady hum of the tide providing the perfect soundtrack to an evening wedding. Emma wondered why she didn't seek out the solace of the ocean more often.

"Hey," she said quietly. Regina was sitting on one of the built-in wooden benches, her legs crossed and her eyes transfixed on the choppy waves.

"Hi," Regina greeted coolly, not turning around.

"The ceremony was beautiful," Emma said, knowing Regina wouldn't put up with small talk for any length of time.

"Yes, it was."

"So, um, you look gorgeous." Emma kicked at a small pebble with her high heeled shoe.

"Thank you."

Emma sighed heavily. "Okay, I guess I'll go back in then."

She shook her head and turned back toward the hall, where she could see everyone dancing and drinking. She wanted to be light and free for Ruby's sake, but with Regina out here, her heart just wasn't in it.

"How was your dinner?"

Emma turned to see Regina still looking out at the ocean. "It was fine. Weird, a little. I'm not really sure how to act around him."

Regina finally turned, eyes intent on Emma's. "Where is the confusion? I thought we put an end to our little charade the other night in my guest room."

"Our little charade?" Emma huffed. "You can be such a cold-hearted bitch sometimes. That is so unfair."

Regina stood, inches from Emma's face. " _That's_ unfair? What we were doing to each other wasn't unfair? How _fair_ is it that I think about you every second of the day? How _fair_ is it to Robin that I can barely look at him without wishing he were you? How _fair_ is it that my entire life has been turned completely upside down?"

Emma took a step back, shocked at Regina's aggression and honesty. "It's _not_ fair." She hesitated. "You think about me all the time?"

Regina laughed bitterly. "Yes, Emma, I think about you all the time. I think about what your lips taste like, and how good you feel pressed up against me. I think about the constant roller coaster of emotions that you trigger within me. I go from wanting to wrap my hands around your throat to wanting to wrap my arms around your body in the blink of an eye. This whole thing is completely _unfair!"_ Regina growled, nearly yelling.

Emma stood stock-still, her lips slightly parted. If she harbored any questions as to what Regina might be feeling, she just answered them ten-fold.

They heard a loud knock on the glass and turned to see Snow motioning them to come in.

"Well, of course."

Emma shook her head. "They can wait a few more minutes. Come here for a second."

Regina followed, huffing. Emma led them to small area next to the building where trees obscured the lights shining over the promenade. A familiar slow song was playing, and though it was slightly muffled, it served its purpose.

"We are so totally fucked up right now," Emma said, closing her eyes. "You're always in my head too. No matter what I'm doing, I have this weird pit in my stomach that's filled with like all these different things – guilt and excitement and fear and _possibilities._ I don't know what to do, but I do know that we can't just do nothing."

"Emma, we're at a wedding," Regina scoffed, hot tears pricking her eyes. "You're in the bridal party, someone is going to come looking-"

"Shh," Emma said with a soft smile. She took Regina's hand in her own and put her other arm around her waist. She pulled Regina close. Regina began to protest and then just melted in to her. They swayed softly in the evening breeze, their bodies moving as one. Emma breathed in Regina, the scent of her intoxicating. She slid her hand slightly lower so that it rested just above Regina's invisible panty line, teasing, taunting. Regina trailed her fingers up Emma's back, eliciting a shiver when she touched the bare skin below her hair. She kissed Emma's neck softly.

"They're doing the bouquet, Emma!" Snow called out, trudging along the stone path with her heels in her hand. She spotted them next to the building, where Emma and Regina sprung apart. "Um…Emma?" Snow asked, a horrified look of confusion blanketing her face.


	10. Chapter 10

"Yeah! Hey, hey. Heeeey. Regina was adjusting my dress. The dress. There was something weird with the…dress. Okay, we should go back in," Emma said, speaking at a rapid rate. She smiled at Snow and nodded to Regina, completely unsure if Snow actually saw anything. Emma's heart was beating so fast she thought it would thud out of her chest.

They walked quickly toward the door, leaving Snow with her mouth agape staring after them. Regina realized the gravity of the situation, but couldn't help whispering to Snow as she walked by.

"Just a little problem with her dress," she smirked, quickly catching up to Emma who was holding the door for her.

They avoided each other for the rest of the night, stealing glances here and there. Emma's heart sunk as she watched Robin open Regina's car door for her, and slink in next to her with a bright smile on his face. She was equal parts perturbed and guilt-addled.

Trying desperately to duck any type of conversation with Snow, Emma took off her heels to walk up the stairs and opened the door quietly. No sign of them.

Up in her room, Emma breathed a sigh of relief. She threw her shoes into the corner before flipping her light on. She jumped when she saw Snow sitting on the end of her bed.

"Emma."

"Shit, are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?" Emma asked loudly, hand on her chest.

"She wasn't fixing your dress."

Fuck. She should have known Snow wouldn't just let something like this go.

Emma decided it was easier to just keep up the charade. "Well, if you must know, my underwire was poking into my skin. She was just trying-"

Snow closed her eyes and shook her head. "Emma, don't. She wasn't "fixing" anything. You were dancing. Quite intimately."

"Okay, so we were out by the ocean and neither of us felt like going in. The music was playing and we thought it would be funny," Emma shrugged, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"There was nothing "funny" about it. I _saw_ you. How long has this been going on?"

"Come on, Mom, there's nothing going on! You're overreacting. You know Regina and I have been on good terms for a while now."

"You're on good terms with Leroy. Would you dance with him like that to be "funny"? Would you let him tickle your back with his fingers?"

"No!" Emma said, much too quickly. "That's different. Leroy is…" Emma trailed off, changing into a t-shirt and pair of shorts.

"Unattractive?"

"I did _not_ say that!" Emma could feel herself getting defensive. She was fighting a losing battle, and she knew it, but she didn't know how to stop it. The truth seemed like a terrible, horrifyingly, bad idea.

"Then what's the difference?" Snow continued to sit on the edge of the bed, her demeanor unchanged. Her calmness and detachment was both disturbing and intimidating.

"I'm closer to Regina. She and I share a son, we talk a lot, and we just spent all those nights at her house. So of course it's different."

Snow acquiesced. "Fine. Would you dance with your father like that?"

"God, Mom, that's disgusting! Why would you even…"

And with that, Emma lost the battle.

Snow nodded, eyebrows raised and lips pursed. "So how long has this been going on?"

"Since the night of the tornado," Emma breathed, taking a seat on the bed next to Snow. Losing graciously had never been her strong suit. "We uh, spent a lot of time together in the basement, and talked about a lot of things. She isn't as happy with Robin as she may seem on the surface."

"What about you, with Killian? I thought everything was wonderful between the two of you."

"It is. On paper."

"What does that mean?"

"It means," Emma stretched back, uncomfortably, "that I care about him a lot. I think he has come leaps and bounds over the past few years, and he really is a pretty good guy. He's very considerate and I know he'd move mountains for me."

"I'm not understanding."

"I just don't have that strong _desire_ to be with him. There's no whirlwind of emotion, no cliché butterflies in my stomach. I was content with him, but I don't know if that's enough anymore." Emma chewed on her lip while she snuck a glance at her mother. It was the most honest she'd been with herself in a very, very long time.

"Oh, Emma," Snow sighed, putting her hand on Emma's knee. "Those kinds of feelings don't last, sweetheart. What you may be feeling for…Regina," she swallowed, "is the newness, the excitement, and maybe the danger of getting caught. All of those things are fun and exhilarating, but they don't last. A solid foundation, trust, companionship – that's what matters in the long run."

Emma stood, effective pushing her mother's hand off of her. "I'm not a child, Snow. I know the difference between a real relationship and a fling. If I could remove her from my thoughts and settle back into a nice, comfortable, _companionship_ with Killian, then that would be one thing. I don't think I can do that. I really…kinda…want to be with her."

Snow's face clouded over. "You're right, you're not a child, Emma. If you want to throw away what you have with Killian, I won't try to stop you. But you need to think long and hard about this. Regina is not a sweet little cream-puff who will roll over and give in to your every whim."

"Uh, why would you think I would even want that? She's challenging and straightforward and she calls me on my shit. She's beautiful and deep and sometimes a little mean. When she loves, she loves all the way. You know that firsthand. I thought you two were friends now, why are you putting her down like this?" Emma could feel anger begin to rise in her throat.

"I'm not putting her down. We are friends. I'm friends with a lot of people, doesn't mean I would want them dating my daughter."

"Well, until we figure out what's really going on between us, this conversation is pointless. She seems to cling onto the whole "soulmate" thing and I don't know if that's something she can get over."

Snow sighed, again. "You make the word "soulmate" sound like a degradation. It's a beautiful and magical connection between two people that most people in this world or any other never have the opportunity to feel. I don't blame her for not being quick to toss it aside."

"Okay, Mom. I really have to get some sleep. I'll think about what you said. Can you do me a favor though?"

Snow had risen, sullenly, and was standing by the open door of Emma's bedroom.

"What is it?"

"Can you keep this to yourself? Please?"

Snow nodded sadly, closing the door behind her.

XXX

Sleep was not in the cards. Sometime around three a.m., Emma started up her Bug and drove in silence to Mifflin. She knew it was not a good idea, she knew she was playing with fire. This whole thing was taking a very unhealthy turn, but Emma couldn't help the deep-seated need to see Regina, to talk to her about it, even though their conversations never ended with any type of solution.

As she sat outside the darkened house, she shot off a text asking Regina to meet her in the backyard. After a few minutes with no response, Emma wondered if Regina even kept her phone by her at night. And even if she did, was it enough to wake her up.

Right before turning her key in the ignition, Emma's phone lit up.

 _Give me two minutes._

A flood of relief washed over her as she made her way to the backyard and took a seat on the glider. She shifted a few times waiting for Regina to appear.

"Tell me, what couldn't wait until morning?" Regina asked, her voice still thick and gravelly with sleep. She tightened her robe and sat on the open cushion next to Emma.

"Sorry," Emma apologized, noticing Regina still had traces of her makeup from earlier in the evening and her hair was still perfectly coiffed even after lying on the pillow. Emma felt the familiar drop in her stomach at the sight of her.

"It's okay, but what's going on? Regina asked, yawning into the back of her hand.

"Snow knows."

Regina paused for a moment, looking down at the ground. "Is she going to say anything?"

"No."

Regina scoffed. "I don't mean to be contrary, but Snow is not the best secret-keeper I've encountered."

"She won't. But things just got very real, very fast."

"Yes, it would seem they did," Regina answered, gazing into her apple tree. "We are running out of options."

Emma sat back on the glider and kicked her feet forward to give the swing momentum. She covered her face with her hands.

"I think I should break it off with Killian."

"Yes, that would probably be the smart thing to do. I think you've made it clear to me, and yourself, over the past few days that he isn't making you happy. You deserve happiness, Emma," Regina told her, rubbing her arm affectionately.

Emma stopped and sat up straight. She turned so she was facing Regina directly. "Why are you making it sound like you aren't a part of this? Like you're a casual friend giving me some life advice?"

"I'm not. I'm just being honest with you – if you aren't happy, you should leave him."

Suddenly frustrated, Emma brought the swing to an abrupt halt. "And if you aren't happy with Robin, _you_ should leave _him_."

"While that is true, I'm not going to immediately say that I should leave Robin because you're thinking of leaving Hook. That would be impulsive."

Emma felt tears spring to her eyes, and she willed them away angrily. "Am I alone in this, Regina? If I am, I just need you to tell me. What we talked about – just a few hours ago – made it seem like I wasn't. Has something changed?"

Regina leaned into her, taking her hand in her own. "Nothing has changed, Emma. I do feel all of those things I told you about at the wedding. But I also know that impetuous behavior usually ends badly."

She was hesitant to break eye contact, but Emma reached up and tangled her hand in Regina's hair, pulling her close. She leaned in and kiss her, afraid of rejection, but quickly put at ease. Regina brought her hands to Emma's waist, where she adjusted herself so that their bodies were touching. She returned the kiss with vigor, swallowing the heat that boiled between them. Just as her tongue slowly breached the entrance to Emma's mouth, Emma pulled away.

"Sometimes spontaneity can be a good thing. Good night, Regina," Emma said, standing quickly. She sprinted to her car, unable to erase the burning image of Regina's confused and broken countenance as she hastily walked away from her.


	11. Chapter 11

Emma fidgeted, breathing in the summer air that was quickly fading into fall. The sky was full of brilliant stars. She looked up at Killian's door, postponing the inevitable. She paced a few more times while gathering the nerve.

After she had left Regina alone in her backyard, Emma had succumbed to the soul-searching that she had been trying to brush off since the night in the basement. She came to the conclusion that she really did want to be with Regina. She had no idea how it would work, if they would even last a week. It didn't matter. The gravitational pull to that infuriating and irresistible woman had grown too strong to resist.

Regina herself proved to be a harder problem to solve. While Emma really did believe that Regina had feelings for her, she was so caught up in her old-world way of thinking that she didn't see that an alternative to the destiny she had been given existed. Emma didn't want to push; she was afraid she wouldn't accomplish anything but pushing Regina further away.

The one thing that had become crystal clear was that she being unfair to Killian. She couldn't continue to ignore him and maintain the distance that she had created. She couldn't fake it and hope things got better. Emma couldn't use him as a crutch. She'd never been that person and she didn't intend to start now.

"Hi," Killian greeted as he opened the door. Emma couldn't quell the nausea rolling in her stomach. "So glad you came, love."

Emma smiled weakly and returned his hug. "Sorry I've been MIA. Everything's been…crazy."

"Well, you're here now, so let's make the most of it. Do you want to go out? Or would you rather stay in?" he asked, cocking a suggestive eyebrow.

"Um, we can stay in. Actually, I need to talk to you."

"That sounds serious. Everything okay, Swan?"

"Yeah. Yeah. No."

They sat on the loveseat in the living room, Emma on the very edge of the cushion. Her discomfort was palpable.

"I think we need to take a break," she said, biting the words back as soon as they came out. She was leaving a door open, and that hadn't been the plan.

"A break?" Killian asked, sitting forward.

"Not a break, exactly. I just think that maybe this isn't working out."

His eyebrows knit together. "Not working out?" he repeated. "Why the hell not?"

"Well, I just think that maybe it's…me. It's me. I'm just not as happy as I once was."

Killian placed his hand on his leg, rubbing up and down. "Did something happen? I've felt like you've been pulling away, but you kept telling me it was the job, or Henry. Did I do something?"

"No, Killian. It's nothing like that. You've been good to me, this really isn't about you." Emma swallowed hard. Getting emotional wouldn't do either of them any good.

"Then what is it about? You don't love me."

"I do love you, Killian. I do. Just maybe not in the right way."

He arched his eyebrows in confusion. "Ouch," he said looking down at the floor. "So that's it then? We just split up and go our separate ways? That seems rather harsh, love. There's too much between us not to try. Do you just want to take some time apart and see what happens?"

It was Emma's turn to look down at the floor. "I don't think that will change anything. I'm trying to be completely honest. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to mislead you either. It's not a time thing. I hope we can still be friends." She hated herself for saying that at that moment, but there was truth behind it. It was trite and something absolutely nobody wanted to hear in the middle of a break-up speech.

Killian nodded, remaining silent. He stood up and walked toward the door. Emma watched him, unsure if she should follow. When he opened the door and stood in front of it, she took the hint.

"I really am sorry-"

"Stop. You've said your piece. Have a nice life."

Emma awkwardly walked onto the front porch, where she turned with pleading eyes. It was futile, as the door was quickly shut in her face. She felt the sting of tears, which were a queasy mix of sadness and relief. She headed home in a fog.

XXX

"Wait, he did what?" Emma asked, spearing a home fry with her fork. Ruby stood across from her, her elbows resting on the counter.

Ruby's eyes were alight. She was delighted that she had gotten to Emma before Snow. "I'm totally serious. Snow and I were sitting at the kitchen table having a glass of wine, and he knocks on the door like a crazy person. We both jumped a mile."

Emma twirled her finger to tell Ruby to get on with it. She held her home fry in mid-air.

"So he comes in, and I think he was drunk. Or something. I don't know. But he starts _demanding_ Snow to tell him what really happened between the two of you! And at that point, we had no idea what he was talking about," she looked pointedly at Emma and raised an eyebrow, "so we just sat there with our mouths open like idiots. He told us you broke up with him for a bullshit reason and he wanted to know the truth."

Emma dropped the fork back onto her plate. She was furious. "It was the truth. Why did he think Snow would have all the answers?"

"So then he asks, is there someone else. And I'm like, of course not. And Snow's like, 'well'…"

" _What?"_ Emma spat, defenses up and armed.

"But then she backtracked and said no, there is no one else, and she was just as surprised as he was. He seemed to buy it, but then he leaned into the sink. I thought he was going to throw up, so I blocked my ears. But no. He started to sob. _Sob_ , Emma. Like heaving, wailing, river of tears, _sobbing_. It was actually really sad. Snow and I just stared at each other."

Emma rubbed her hands over her face. "He never struck me as the crying type," she mumbled, feeling so much worse.

"Well, clearly he is. We tried to give him a hug, because what the hell else do you do in that situation. He kind of shook it off though and said he was going to go out and clear his head. It was really strange."

Emma nodded, her appetite gone and breakfast abandoned. She knew she had done the right thing, but she really hated that he was hurting and she was the cause.

"So why didn't you tell me you had the hots for Regina?"

Emma's head snapped up and her mouth dropped. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, after the Hook debacle, your mom spilled. You know she can't keep a secret."

"I can't fucking believe this," Emma said, shaking her head incredulously.

"Believe it. Now why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't have the _hots_ for her, Ruby. It's not like that. We shared a moment and it made me see things a little differently."

"See things like the fact that you have the hots for her."

Emma shot her a warning glance. "I realized that my feelings for her were taking off in a different direction that I had previously acknowledged."

"Spin it however you want, my friend. I mean, she is super hot, there's no debate about that. I just had no idea you felt that way."

Emma groaned and let her head fall to the counter. "This is officially a nightmare."

"Em, it's fine. I won't say anything. I am a little hurt that you didn't think you could confide in me, but I get it. Is she going to leave Robin?"

"I don't know."

XXX

The mayor's office smelled like fresh flowers and cinnamon. It was both distracting and intoxicating.

"Emma, we need to button this up. The council members are going to expect the damage and numbers reports by Friday. We need to at least create an illusion of order in the hierarchy," Regina huffed, watching Emma's eyes trail after a tiny spider over the landscape of the ceiling.

"Okay, I'm paying attention. Want me to make copies?"

"No!" Regina scolded. "We don't even have the finalized dollar figures yet. Can you please review the invoices from the contractors?" She tilted her head toward the pile of papers on the corner of her desk. Emma rolled her eyes and grabbed them dramatically.

"Everybody knows the contractors were only a Plan B until our magic was restored. Why are we putting on a façade?'"

"That's not how it works, Emma. You know that. Magic or not, we still have a town to run," Regina said, not looking up from her laptop.

"You look especially beautiful today, Mayor," Emma smiled sweetly, and began marking up the invoices.

Regina smirked, and removed her reading glasses, letting the black frames dangle from her index finger. "Thank you, Sherriff. You look very…inviting as well."

Emma chuckled and watched Regina raise her eyebrows before concentrating on her work again. She grew serious. "I ended it with Killian."

Regina looked up slowly. "You did?"

"I did."

"Hmm. How do you feel about it?"

"Sad, a little. I guess I feel relieved too. It's better for both of us this way," Emma crinkled the papers in her hand, suddenly feeling very awkward.

"Good, then. I'm sure you made the right decision," Regina nodded, completely ignoring the elephant in the room.

The room took on a certain chill. Neither of the women spoke for a few moments. It was pin-drop quiet until Emma broke the silence, unable to take it anymore.

"I didn't do it for you."

"I didn't think you did." Once again, Regina didn't look up from her computer.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that I made the decision in the right frame of mind. I probably _wouldn't_ have done it if you and I hadn't spent that time together in the basement. It just showed me that I had failed at convincing myself that I was perfectly happy."

Regina shifted, massaging her temple with her index and middle finger. "I'm sorry I'm not as strong as you."

"What?"

"I just can't up and leave Robin the way you left Hook. That takes courage, Emma, really. I've been waffling back and forth since…that night. But ever since I was a young girl, I'd always thought that maybe my soulmate just didn't exist-"

Emma put up her hand. "I know, Regina. I know. I'm not pressuring you, I'm not asking you to make the same decision that I made. I have genuine feelings for you, I do, but I'm not expecting anything."

Regina hesitated. She opened her mouth to speak, seemed to think better of it, then began again. "Why don't you come over tonight? Robin left earlier today for a hunting trip and I'm sure Henry will be up in his room after dinner."

Fighting the urge to ask why, Emma nodded. "I'd…like that, sure." Nerves fluttered up and down in her stomach. "I'm going to head back to the station, if we're all set here. These are done," she told her, placing the invoices back on the desk.

"Of course." Regina stood as Emma headed for the door. "I'll see you tonight."


	12. Chapter 12

Regina paced in her front hallway. It was after nine, and Henry had been up in his room for some time, as she had predicted. She was anxiously waiting for Emma to arrive, but the pit in her stomach was growing by the minute.

She was weak. It was a trait she was deeply ashamed of, but this situation only heightened her awareness of it. Since the night of the tornado, Regina had been trying to figure out what to do. Her relationship with Robin was strained, to put it lightly. Not only was she weak, she was a cheater. Coming clean would have been the noble thing to do, certainly, but she would have been forced to make a decision. A decision she didn't feel ready to make.

The light knock on the door startled her, even though she'd been waiting for it. She opened the door and smiled at Emma, who looked nervous. It was the first time they would be together without fear of getting caught or having to explain themselves. In reality, Regina was nervous too.

"Hi," Emma said quietly, wiping her feet on the doormat.

"Hi," Regina responded, opening the door wider. "Come in."

Emma walked in, standing awkwardly in the hallway with her hands shoved in her pockets. Beads of sweat glistening on her forehead, she second-guessed the light sweater she had chosen. She was thankful Regina's air conditioning was set to cool.

"Cider?" Regina asked, pouring herself a glass.

"Definitely."

They sat side-by-side on the couch, eager, anxious, and uneasy.

"Henry?"

"Up in his room."

Emma nodded. "Um…was there a specific reason you asked me over tonight?"

Regina cleared her throat, and took a long swallow of cider. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I knew that Robin wasn't going to be here, so I was looking forward to…alone time…with you. Which really makes me a terrible person."

A pause. Emma didn't actually know how to respond. She certainly didn't think Regina was a terrible person, but she did feel an enormous sense of guilt knowing that Robin was off somewhere naively enjoying himself.

Regina continued. "I don't know what to do. I've always been the one in control, the one with a plan. This is new for me." She chewed on her lip. "I know how this looks. That I'm so afraid to be alone I'm making sure the new ship is viable before jumping the old one. That is _not_ the case."

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Emma sat back on the couch while Regina continued to circle the room, glass in hand.

"I am not afraid to be alone. I've been alone most of my life," Regina chuckled bitterly. "And I know you think I am being ridiculous about finding my soulmate-"

"I didn't-"

Regina held up her hand. "Let me finish. Please. I know it seems like I am holding onto something that doesn't make any sense. In this world, people use the word soulmate loosely. Friends, family members, lovers. It doesn't have the same meaning where I come from. It's a once-in-a-lifetime connection. Sure, you can meet someone and be happy with them. I've seen it before. But the link between soulmates is different. I can assure you I've wondered why I haven't felt the all-consuming passion for mine." Regina walked to the bar and poured herself another glass. She closed her eyes and sipped. "So, with that, I have come to a sad, but reasonable conclusion. _I'm_ the problem. I've been given a chance at happiness, a chance I decidedly don't deserve, and here I am. Pining for the daughter of my former enemy."

A flash of lightning illuminated the dimly lit room. Emma sat forward, clutching her glass, white-knuckled.

"Regina," she said softly, "you are not the problem. Like I said before, this storybook matchmaker is not omniscient. I'm sure you are not the only person who didn't jive with their predetermined partner. Sometimes fate is cruel. Maybe that's your fate – to see that the easy road just isn't for you and to make your own. This isn't even about me. I would love for you to give us a chance, but if you don't want to, then I will understand and respect your decision. But I don't think love should be this much of a struggle."

Regina scoffed, walking over to the window. She watched as the trees blew side to side, sheets of rain drifting down Mifflin Street. "Love is always a struggle, Emma. Love _is_ struggle."

Setting down her glass, Emma sighed heavily. She walked over to Regina and put her hands on her hips, looking out the window over her shoulder. "It doesn't have to be. You have no reason to feel guilty. You tried your best, you wanted it to work, it just didn't."

Regina turned, Emma's hands still on her hips. Their faces were just inches apart. Emma's pulse quickened and her heart fluttered like a hummingbird.

"No reason to feel guilty?" Regina asked quietly, curling her index finger in Emma's hair.

"Well, not about _that_ anyway. Not about considering leaving him. _This_ ," she motioned between them with her index finger, "is another story."

"We can't do this anymore," Regina whispered, her lips ghosting over Emma's.

Emma wavered, but dug for her resolve. "No. We can't."

"It's not fair."

"No. It isn't."

"Maybe we should say good-night then."

"Yes. We probably should." Emma could feel her paper-thin determination quickly fading. With Regina so close to her, her head was dazed and her body cried out for more.

"Okay," Regina whispered, before slowly pulling away. "I am sorry, Emma. I don't mean to involve you in my pathetic tug-of-war."

She reached forward, enveloping Emma in her arms. She squeezed her tightly as she realized their night was coming to an end.

Emma hissed in pain, jumping back from Regina's touch.

"What?" Regina asked, eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just have a sore arm."

"From what?"

"I scraped my shoulder."

"Let me see."

"See what? No."

"Emma," Regina demanded, quirking an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"What's the big deal, I'm fine." Emma pulled at her sleeve.

"It wouldn't be a big deal if you weren't so adamant about it not being one."

Regina extended her hand again, lightly touching Emma's bicep. Emma winced but didn't make a sound.

"Show me."

"You're being weird. I'm just gonna go, we can talk later."

Regina stepped in front of her, hands on her hips. "If you're hurt, I'd like to see it. I can make it better."

Emma ran a hand through her hair. She knew she was being shady, and now there was no way out without casting even more shade.

"Look. I did something stupid and presumptuous. Can we just let it go?"

"No. Please show me your arm."

Frustration shadowed Emma's face. "Fine, Regina, fine. You're always so fucking persistent, you can't ever let anything just be, so here." She pulled up her sleeve, revealing a small bandage just above her bicep.

Regina pulled at the corner of the tape, lifting the bandage slightly. She gasped and let it fall back down.

"I told you it was stupid," Emma said, smacking the bandage back down, and cringing at the sting.

"Why did you do that?" Regina asked breathlessly.

"Because. Tinkerbell told you that your _soulmate_ had a lion tattoo on their arm. You've been so shit-sure that he's the one, I thought maybe you'd see that everything is up to interpretation. Maybe it was just a coincidence that he was in the bar that night, with his stupid tattoo. Maybe this was the plan all along, and everything that happened back then was just part of the journey to get you right here, right now, with me." Emma looked down at the ground, regretting her impulsive decision to get the tattoo after work. She was embarrassed.

Regina stood still, openly staring at Emma, searching her for _something_. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, her heart was filled with something else entirely.

"I don't understand-what made you-why didn't you just _make_ it appear?"

"The prophecy or whatever the hell you call it said it was a tattoo. I wanted to do it right, not chicken out and take the easy way out. So…it's real. And it hurts like a bitch."

Regina lunged forward, pulling Emma closer to her by the bottom of her sweater. She brought their lips together forcefully, inhaling Emma into herself. Emma reacted quickly, grabbing tightly to the small of Regina's back. They kissed hungrily before Regina pulled away, eyes glistening.

"I'm leaving him."


	13. Chapter 13

_"I'm leaving him."_

Emma backed up. As much as she had been longing to hear those words, she was hesitant. The last thing she wanted was for Regina to resent her over time.

"Are you sure, Regina? I don't want you to do it-"

Regina tightened her grip around Emma's waist. "It's not because of you. It's because of what you've shown me. My happiness is not disposable. Neither is his."

Emma nodded, brushing Regina's hair away from her face. She leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Truer words were never spoken. I'm glad you finally realize it. I should go."

"Probably. But I _really_ don't want you to."

XXX

Regina chewed on her fingernail while she waited for Robin to get back from his trip. Henry was out with Emma, so she sat at the kitchen table unable to keep herself occupied with anything else. As dusk fell, she heard the clatter of someone on her front porch.

Robin pushed open the door, archery equipment in hand. He dropped it on the hall floor, which made Regina wince, but she said nothing.

"Where's Roland?" she asked, arms crossed.

"He asked if he could stay one more night with the guys. They'll keep a close eye on him. I missed you," he said, smiling and planting a kiss on her cheek. Regina smiled sickly. He started massaging her shoulders, causing her to shift uncomfortable under his touch.

"I haven't been honest with you," she told him, summoning her courage.

"About?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"About…us. Can we go into the living room and talk?" Regina motioned toward the back of the house, then adjusted the cuffs on her blouse. She was dressed like she was walking into a business meeting. It was how she felt most in control.

"Okay," he said, drawing out the word. He sat on the firm couch, patting the cushion next to him. Regina stood.

She had no choice but to lay it all out. Anything else would have weakened her resolve. "We moved very quickly, Robin. Once we realized who we were to each other, we didn't really give ourselves the time to get to know each other. To assess our compatibilities. Or incompatibilities as the case may be."

"Regina, you're not making any sense. We've been together for a while now. I'd say we know each other very well. Where is this coming from?" Robin frowned, unlacing his boots.

Regina watched as he worked his boots, and sincerely hoped he wasn't getting too comfortable. No need to add to the extreme awkward tension.

"I've been thinking. This is in no way a reflection on you, but on us. As a unit. I don't always feel like we…mesh well. There is a certain chemistry that exists between two people in a relationship, and certainly between soulmates. Sometimes I feel as though we…lack that."

"What?" Robin asked, incredulous. "How can you say that? Our sex life may have taken a backseat-"

"No, Robin," Regina interrupted. "That's not what I'm talking about. I'm not articulating this very well." She sat on the edge of the coffee table, something she would _never_ normally do. But hey, she'd done a lot of things she'd never do over the past few weeks. "I believe, when two people have committed to one another, especially under special circumstances, there needs to be an unbreakable connection. A line of electricity, if you will. I'm not referring to the "spark" that exists in new love. I know that newness and excitement will fade and turn into something much deeper over time. What I'm referring to is the innate desire that exists to _be_ together, even if the two parties are not _physically_ together."

It was unusual for Regina to falter, especially when her belief was strong. She was toeing the line between being too clinical and doing this gently. She sighed, feeling like she was failing at both.

"I still don't really understand, Regina. Everything is fine between us."

She stood again, pacing with her hand on her hip and looking down at the dark wood floor. "But it's not fine, Robin. Or maybe it is fine. Fine. Is that what we strive for? Fine?"

Robin gave her a goofy grin. "After all the things we've been through, I'd say fine is a pretty good state to be in."

Regina swallowed, willing herself not to get frustrated. This was on her; it was no one's fault but her own for allowing complacency to become acceptable.

"I don't want fine, Robin. I want more."

Robin stood and squeezed Regina's shoulder lightly. "If that's what this is about, I can give you more. I can be who you need me to be."

"No, you can't. You'll never be who I need you to be, and it's not because-"

"What are you saying? How can you believe that a person will never be who you need them to be? You can't know that," Robin stepped back, agitated.

"I do know that. Because someone else already is."

Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit. And that was why Regina wanted to keep it clinical. As soon as emotion entered the scene, things like that were liable to blurt out. She remained stoic, trying to keep her composure.

Robin openly stared at her. Once realization hit, fury washed over his face.

"There's someone else?" he asked, so quietly it bordered on eerie.

"Robin. That's not the point of this conversation-"

" _There's someone else?"_ he asked again, louder this time.

Cowering was not in her nature. Regina stepped toward him, eyes flashing. "I am not having an _affair_ with someone else, if that's what you're insinuating."

Half-truth, but it was easier than explaining whatever was happening between her and Emma. The unexplainable.

Robin stalked away, slamming his fist into the top of the leather sofa. It made a weak squish.

"We are _soulmates_ , Regina. Christ! You don't walk away from that! We've crossed _time and realms_ to be together! We didn't meet at a fucking Applebees!"

Regina collected herself, breathing deeply. "Maybe Tinkerbell was wrong. Or at least wrong in the direction she led us in. Don't you want to be with someone you… _fit_ with? You can't tell me you haven't felt like there was something missing."

"Don't you _dare_ tell me how I feel. Tinkerbell was _not_ wrong. Everything she said brought us together. Remember this?" he spat, thrusting his tattooed wrist towards her.

"I just wonder if, maybe, it should have been open to interpretation," she said softly, looking at the familiar ink, and mimicking Emma's earlier explanation.

"Interpretation. Interpretation. _What?_ What is wrong with you, Regina? Who is feeding you this insane logic?" Robin paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's David, isn't it? He's always looked at you funny. I'll kill the sonfoabitch."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Stop, Robin, just stop. There is _nothing_ between David and I, I can promise you that. No one is feeding me anything. I've just come to a few realizations. I'm sorry, Robin. I certainly didn't expect it to come to this. I can't change how I feel. I'm sorry."

"Who is it?"

"I'm not talking about this, Robin. This has nothing to do with what's going on between us. I'm sorry," she said again.

Robin nodded, sneering. "You will be sorry, Regina. Throwing this away…throwing me away like a piece of garbage. You may be caught up in someone else, but I promise you, _promise_ you, they won't love you like I do. And when you try to come back to me, your _soulmate_ , there's no guarantee I'll be there. _I_ was your second chance. And you blew it. Let that keep you warm at night."

He brushed by her, his shoulder bumping her on his way out. He slammed the door so hard the walls rattled. Regina let out a very shaky breath. She sat down on the couch, crossed her legs, and wept.

XXX

Stretched out on her bed, Emma shot off another text.

 _Where are you? I've been trying to get in touch with you all night._

She stared at her phone, willing it to ping back. She was about ready to call it a night when she finally heard the telltale alert.

 _Sorry. He just left a little while ago. Not feeling too good._

Emma sat up straight, tucking her hair behind her ears. She was debating heavily with herself on whether she should go over or just give Regina some time to deal with things on her own. Going on the assumption that she had in fact, broken up with Robin. Emma felt paranoia creep in. Maybe she couldn't go through with it. Maybe she didn't feel good because she thought she made the wrong decision. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Never one to accept anxiety, Emma pulled on her jeans and a crumpled blue t-shirt. Henry was asleep on the couch, and her parents were in their room. She quietly left the apartment, boots still unlaced as she made her way down the stairs.

Regina opened the door before Emma had a chance to knock. She stood there, fist in position, worry creasing her forehead. Regina had a tissue in her hand and her eyes were red-raw.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Emma asked, rushing in. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't hurt me. Maybe my feelings a little, but I can't really say too much about that, considering."

"Come here," Emma said, folding Regina into her arms. She kissed her temple. "How do you feel?"

Regina allowed herself to be comforted, feeling at home in Emma's arms. She rested her head on her shoulder. "Strangely zen about it. He said some pretty terrible things once he found out there was someone else."

Emma cleared her throat. "You, um, told him there was someone else?"

"Mistakenly. Heat of the moment."

Emma nodded. "Okay, well that's…okay."

"It wouldn't have mattered either way. He was angry and hurt, and rightfully so. I blindsided him."

"Did you though? You told me yourself things have been strained."

Regina stayed silent, closing her eyes on Emma's shoulder. The clean scent of her hair sent an ill-timed backflip through her stomach. Everything was changing.

"So now what?" Emma asked, stroking Regina's hair gently.

"I have no idea," Regina chuckled softly.


	14. Chapter 14

They sat across from each other in a corner booth at Granny's after Henry left for school. Regina delicately ate her mixed fruit; Emma made quick work of her blueberry muffin. There was a silence between them, not awkward, but full of unanswerable questions.

Emma drove home from Regina's the night before, filled with hope and excitement. She was nervous, anxious, fearful, and a thousand other adjectives descriptive of caution. But she felt like she was standing on the precipice of something huge, life-altering, and she was ready. She just didn't know the how's or the why's.

"We should definitely take things slow. I mean, Robin's and Killian's sides of the bed aren't even cold yet. Right?" Emma asked, smearing a pat of butter on her muffin.

Regina watched in horror as Emma used the entire square of butter on one half of the muffin. She cleared her throat. "Uh, yes, I definitely think that's a good idea. Plus we have Henry to think of. We should probably see if this is something we really do want to pursue once the dust settles."

"Of course, Mayor Mills. Maybe we can schedule some time on the calendar and set up a conference call to discuss the logistics."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to be practical. We're not teenagers who can just jump headlong into a fantasy with blinders on."

"So you're saying you fantasize about me?" Emma asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes."

Emma choked on her coffee. "Oh, okay then. I didn't see that coming." The more she thought about the response, the more her stomach somersaulted.

The corners of Regina's lips curled into a smile, in spite of herself. "But in all seriousness, _Miss Swan_ , we need to be smart about this."

"Agreed. We'll be smart about it." Emma ran the side of her foot up Regina's leg under the table. "Tell me, how long does 'being smart' take?"

Regina laughed and ignored her completely.

XXX

It had been hard, but they made it. With little contact except a few flirtatious texts, they managed to wait until the weekend to see each other. Emma fussed with tinted lip gloss in her mirror, adjusting her clothes over and over again. Regina had made it very clear that they needed to take their time and let the cards fall naturally. There was no rush, no reason to turn their lives upside down when they could allow it to happen organically, should things progress to that level. Emma didn't expect anything, but a kiss or two wouldn't have been unwelcomed.

"Where are you going?" Snow asked as Emma came out of her room.

Emma hesitated. She didn't want the third degree, but she also didn't want to lie. Not again. "Regina's," she said casually, grabbing a bottled water from the refrigerator.

"Mmhmm," Snow said, not looking up from her magazine.

"What?" Emma sighed, leaning up against the counter.

"Nothing. I didn't know you two were officially dating now. Robin's on some sort of mission to find out who Regina's mystery man is. Won't he be surprised," she muttered, turning a page.

"I didn't say we're officially dating, Mom. We're just trying to figure some things out. And it's none of Robin's damn business what Regina is doing. She broke up with him, made it clear it was over."

"Wow, I've never known you to be so cold, Emma," Snow deadpanned, still glued to the magazine.

"I'll see you later." Emma shook her head, huffing as she left the apartment. Not that she expected a parade, but a little less judgment would have been appreciated. She did feel bad for Robin, but she knew what Regina had done wasn't easy for her either. Selfishly, she was happy about it, but she did recognize there was a lot of hurt going around these days.

Thoughts of anyone else abandoned her completely as Emma approached the mansion. The house was mostly dark except for the porch light and a muted red glow coming from the study.

Emma knocked, shivering in the early autumn night. There were no stars in the sky and the moon was eclipsed by grayish clouds. From somewhere inside, she heard a voice tell her to come in. Emma jiggled the knob, half-expecting it to be locked, for no other reason than her own insecurities. It wasn't.

"You're late," Regina greeted her.

"We said eight-thirty. It's only-hooooo-l-y shit," Emma trailed off. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Regina had on a _very_ low-cut white tank-top, tight black jeans that hugged every single curve, and black heels with a tiny strap at the ankle. Her hair was down around her shoulders, messed but perfect, and her makeup was full and flawless.

"It's eight thirty-six," Regina said, ignoring Emma's reaction. Though secretly she was quite pleased at the way the blonde was raking her eyes up and down her body. That was the intent, and it worked.

"On what day?" Emma asked, still not meeting Regina's eyes. She strode closer to her, extending a hand toward her hip. Regina slapped it away.

"Uh-uh. Tonight was for talking, remember?"

"That, Regina, is _not_ a talking outfit."

"Should I have worn a sweat suit?" Regina asked, feigning concern.

Emma gave her the once-over again. "I think that would have been more appropriate for a scheduled night of conversation, yes."

"Too bad. Wine?"

"Please. Did Henry leave for his sleepover yet?"

"Yes, a little while ago."

Emma watched as Regina walked into the kitchen, the jeans accentuating every line and curve. She felt slightly lecherous for a second, then shrugged it off and followed her. Never had a conversation seemed so daunting.

They sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, on an expensive plush throw-rug. Regina sat with her back against the coffee table, one knee bent and the other leg stretched out in front of her. Emma was on her side, her head resting on the hand of her propped elbow.

"So, would you consider us like, dating now?" Emma asked, feeling childish, but needed an answer.

"I don't recall us going on a date."

"Do you want to?"

"Yes, I think I'd like that very much."

Regina kicked off her heels and wiggled her toes. Emma reached over and put her hand on top of Regina's bare foot, initiating contact. She rubbed her thumb back and forth.

"This is a little weird."

"It doesn't have to be," Regina shrugged. "We've both acknowledged that we are attracted to each other, that we have an interest in seeing where 'dating', as you call it, might lead. It would seem to me that we are on the same page."

"But we hate each other," Emma smiled, giving Regina's foot a squeeze. "I mean, not recently, but Regina, it's _us._ Rewind a few years and you literally tried to kill me. Just seeing you around made me want to stab something. And now…"

Regina scooted closer to her, took Emma's hand in her own. She laced their fingers together. "And now, things are different. That's why we're taking things slow. To make sure we're not seeking solace in something misguided."

"I have a permanent tattoo on my arm. Perm-a-nent. Little too fast?" Emma asked, rolling onto her back, still clutching Regina's hand.

Regina laughed. "Normally, I would say yes, that was a foolish and highly impractical thing to do. But in this case, it was just very, _very_ romantic."

Regina's voice dropped an octave, and she moved closer to Emma, so that she was lying right beside her, propped up on her forearm. "Thank you for doing that," she whispered, "No one has ever done something so altruistic, something so _specific_ just for me. I didn't even know how to react. You really showed your hand with that move," she chuckled, running her index finger along a line from Emma's belly button to right below her chin.

Emma was about to give her a sarcastic reply, when she felt Regina lean over and place her lips over her own. She closed her eyes and curled her fingers into Regina's hair, feeling her body heat up at a rapid pace. Regina pulled her in tighter, her hand resting on Emma's hip. They kissed softly at first, tenderly exploring each other. Before long, breathing grew ragged, hands were beginning to roam, and Regina bit down on Emma's lower lip. Emma sucked in her breath, pushing Regina way. She sat up.

"We have to stop. If we don't, I'm seriously not going to able to. We're supposed to be going slow."

"Says who?" Regina asked, eyes dark and hooded.

"Uh…you did. We did. Like, ten minutes ago." Emma rolled her neck, trying to focus and get her brain to function properly again.

"And _now_ is when you decide to start listening to me?" Regina crawled forward again, predatory.

Emma jumped to her feet. "I can't even being to tell you how much I want you. I really fucking _want_ you. I can't even breathe right now. I just don't want you to feel like we rushed into anything, especially after we keep saying over and over again how much sense it makes to take it slow. Don't you think we should wait?"

Regina stood, straightening out her tank-top. She looked directly into Emma's eyes, leaving no question where her head- and her body- were at. "I've been waiting for _years_ , Emma. _Years._ To finally experience what you feel like, what you look like, what you _taste_ like."

"Oh fuck it," Emma exhaled, pushing Regina up against the door. She brought their mouths together once more, this time all pretense abandoned. Their tongues licked and prodded, their hands discovered in earnest. Regina pulled away first, fists tightened around Emma's shirt, while she ran her tongue down Emma's jaw, all the way to her collarbone. Emma's head was thrown back, her hand tight around the back of Regina's neck.

"Upstairs," Regina croaked, not breaking contact with any part of Emma's skin.

They fumbled their way through the foyer, up the stairs, into the bedroom. Emma was about to ask why they didn't just transport themselves, but decided the old-fashioned way does have its merits. Their anticipation and desire multiplied with every passing second.

Once in Regina's bedroom, the mood tempered slightly at the reality of what was about to happen.

"I'm nervous," Emma whispered, running both hands through her hair.

Regina smiled, tugging on the bottom of Emma's t-shirt. "I am too."

They kissed again, softer, gentler. Regina lifted Emma's shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor. She let her hands glide up and down Emma's back, surprised and aroused at the juxtaposition of how muscular she felt but also how soft and smooth she felt. With little effort, she unhooked her bra with her index finger and let that too fall to the floor.

Feeling exposed all of sudden, Emma pulled Regina close to her and dropped them both onto the bed. Her body wanted, needed, Regina on top of her, inside of her, and beneath her.

"You are so beautiful," Regina breathed, letting her fingers slide lightly over Emma's breasts while she continued to kiss her neck. Emma moaned reflexively as Regina grazed her nipple, her body tightening with want.

"Come here," Emma murmured, pulling Regina back up to her lips. She kissed her fully while removing her tank-top, keeping it crumpled in her hand while unfastening the hooks of Regina's white lace bra. She undid the button of her jeans with a quick flick of her thumb and index finger and pushed them down as far as she could with her thumbs. Regina wriggled out the rest of the way, pressing herself against Emma's sex. "Oh god," Emma groaned, unsure if she would even live through this.

The rest of their clothing came off quickly, the craving to feel each other outweighing the desire for a slow seduction. Regina savored every inch of Emma's body, her lips, tongue, and hands roaming freely. Emma's head was on the pillow, her eyes shut tight. She had never, _ever_ , experienced this kind of attention before, and it was slowly driving her mad. She was squirming submissively beneath Regina's touch, wanting to hurry her, but also wanting it to last forever. Regina continued her journey southward, her left palm gently gliding over Emma's nipple. She slid her middle finger down Emma's wetness and slowly inserted herself as Emma cried out. She gripped the sheets with both fists, her body rocking unconsciously with Regina's movements inside her. Regina brought her thumb up and began stroking her in slow, measured circles, keeping rhythm with her thrusts. She could feel Emma getting closer, closer. Regina's own core was throbbing with anticipation.

"I, mm, uhh," Emma began, but lost herself completely before any coherent thought could be expressed. She grabbed onto Regina's wrist, cupped around her breast, and just gave in. Orgasm crashed through her as she writhed against Regina's fingers, oblivion swallowing her whole. Emma's whole body went weak with release, and she wondered for a second if she was actually going to pass out. Regina slowly slid her fingers out when the aftershocks had subsided. Before she opened her eyes, Emma could see hazy yellow squiggles dancing in the darkness of her eyelids.

Regina sidled up to her, softly kissing her shoulder and chest, rubbing her stomach lightly. Emma pulled her close, their slick bodies sticking to each other. "I just saw literal fucking stars," Emma laughed, shaking the cobwebs out of her head.

Regina laughed too. "We can just relax if you want to-"

Emma flipped her onto her back and straddled her, leaning her face into Regina's, her knees at Regina's sides. "Not. a. chance," she drawled, kissing Regina fervently, with a desperation she had never felt. She could hear Regina moan beneath her lips, as she rocked into her, their wet heat creating a volcano between them. Needing more, Emma trailed her way down Regina's body, taking her breast into her mouth, teasing, licking, before travelling down once more and open-mouth kissing the softness of Regina's thigh. She sucked in her breath when she allowed the gravity of what she was about to sink in. Regina lay there, ready for her, so beautiful and vulnerable, so open and wanting. Softly, Emma ran her tongue up the length of Regina's wetness, her stomach clenching with every twitch and shiver that coursed through Regina's body. She felt Regina's hands tangle in her hair, making it even more intense, which wasn't even possible. She stroked Regina softly with her tongue, feather-light until Regina couldn't take it anymore and she heard her murmur "please." Wanting desperately to make her feel as good and as whole as Regina had made her, Emma gripped her thighs tightly and concentrated on tight slow circles, delirious in the taste of her. Regina began breathing heavily, saying Emma's name softly, over and over, until it reached a crescendo. Regina pulled hard on Emma's hair as the tidal wave hurtled into her, through her. Emma stayed, making sure she extracted every bit of pleasure that was to be had, until Regina finally fell backward, spent and limp.

They kissed again, lazy and comfortable, smiling. Regina kicked back the covers, cocooning them under her soft comforter. "Stay with me," she whispered, a haze of sleep already surrounding her.

Emma held her tightly, her arms wrapped around Regina's back, while Regina's head was in the crook of her neck. Her fingers danced up the length of Emma's arm, sending chills throughout her body. "Nothing would make me happier," Emma replied, running her hand through Regina's hair. They stayed like that, for a long time, until Regina drifted off to sleep. Emma smiled, still stroking Regina's hair, while tears spilled down her cheeks.

So this was what it was supposed to be like. This was love.


	15. Chapter 15

"Mmm," Emma murmured, somewhere between sleep and arousal. She was aware of a pleasant sensation, a burning deep in her stomach. As her eyes fluttered open, she felt a velvet tongue coursing through her wetness below. She craned her neck slightly and openly groaned as she saw Regina's hair splayed over her stomach. She brought her hands to Regina's hair curling her fingers in the soft mess while she moved closer and closer to the brink, intense since she had literally woken up minutes ago. She writhed beneath the brunette's mouth, muttering nonsense, until her muscles tightened and she came, harder and longer than she could ever remember. She laughed quietly as her head hit the pillow, rubbing both hands over her face. Regina placed sweet kisses up the length of her thigh, her stomach, her chest, until she made her way back up Emma's body. She rested on her forearm and raised her eyebrows.

"Good morning," she said seductively.

Emma laughed again, suspended somewhere between earth and heaven. "Yeah. Good morning."

"It's really early," Regina whispered. "Go back to sleep." She pulled Emma close to her, Emma's head resting on her chest. There was something so new, but so familiar, so exciting, but so comforting, that any magic they were able to create with their hands didn't hold a candle to the magic that hung in the air that morning.

XXX

Emma watched as Regina stood at the stove, flipping her pancake, the tie of her silk robe hanging loosely behind her. They made love multiple times before finally getting out of bed, hours later than either of them was used to. Emma had had her share of lovers over the years, but she couldn't remember ever feeling so desperate and so fulfilled at the same time. The cloud of uncertainty that hovered above seemed to have vanished, leaving no trace. Emma came to a very strange realization: she was happy.

"Syrup?" Regina asked, sliding a plate in front of her.

"Does a bear piss in the woods?" Emma smiled.

"Lovely. Here," Regina smirked, handing Emma the glass container of real maple syrup. Of course it was real. God forbid Regina go out and buy a plastic bottle of Mrs. Butterworth.

Regina snatched the container away from Emma before she could reach it, kissing her softly on the lips. She put the jar down as Emma's hands snaked around her back, underneath her robe, and deepened the kiss. Emma turned, pulling Regina on to her lap, breakfast forgotten.

"Mom?" Henry yelled, bursting through the front door. Emma stood immediately, effectively sliding Regina off of her and into the table. They both scrambled to look presentable. "That game I was telling you about-" Henry stopped in his tracks. "What are you doing?"

"Henry, honey. Why are you home so early?" Regina asked, tightening her robe and running her hand through her hair. Her lips were bright pink and swollen.

"Mom, it's almost noon. Hi, Emma."

"Henry!" Emma exclaimed, with way too much enthusiasm. "Hey kid, your mom was just serving breakfast. She's a really good cook, did you know that?"

Henry looked at her like she had three heads. "Um, yeah, I know that. She's been cooking for me my entire life. Why are you dressed like that?"

Emma looked down, realizing that she was completely inappropriate for a family breakfast. She had on a black camisole and lacy black underwear. And that was it.

"My clothes are in the wash," Emma explained, shoving a forkful of pancake into her mouth. At Henry's inquisitive look, she continued. "I uh…spilled."

"Here," Regina interrupted, handing Emma a pair of yoga pants she retrieved from the laundry room. "Your clothes should be done shortly."

Henry turned away as Emma quickly pulled on the pants.

"So you thought it made sense to just eat breakfast in your underwear? Did you sleep here?" Henry asked, dropping his backpack onto an empty chair.

"I did, yes." Emma looked to Regina for help, who was standing against the counter smirking with her arms crossed. Apparently her plan was to let Emma sink or swim on this one. "Your mom and I had a lot to talk about, so I just ended up staying over."

"What were you doing this morning? Mom, you are _never_ in your pajamas this late. You're always up and dressed by like, seven."

Regina cleared her throat. "I thought I'd try something new."

Henry was supremely suspicious. Neither of his mothers would look him in the eye, and they were both being extremely vague. "That doesn't even-Mom, is that a _tattoo?_ "

Emma's hand flew to her shoulder. There was no way around it; she had to tell him. Lying would only make it worse. "Yeah, it is. It is. Cool, huh?"

Henry walked over, inspecting it. "Um, why did you get the same tattoo that Robin has?"

"I…liked it."

"Okay, _what_ is going on here? Why are you guys being so weird?"

Regina took her coffee mug and set it on the table, sitting next to Emma. "Henry, could you sit down for a second?"

"I'd rather stand."

Regina made eyes at him, eyes he was quite familiar with. He sat.

"You know that Robin and I aren't seeing each other anymore. And you know that your mother and Killian aren't together anymore either, right?"

Henry nodded.

Regina continued. "Well, Emma and I have been bonding. We're both going through the same thing, so we thought we should-"

"What does that have to do with Mom having Robin's tattoo on her arm?"

Emma spoke up. "So, you know how your mom was told that her soulmate had a tattoo of a lion? Well, since she and I have become really close, I thought it would be a really cool gesture of…solidarity."

Henry knitted his eyebrows together. "What, you're saying you're her platonic soulmate?"

"Maybe." Emma paused. "Maybe not."

"So you're _not_ her soulmate? You're not making any sense!" Henry was beginning to get frustrated, and in truth, Emma couldn't blame him.

"No, Henry, I think she _is_ my soulmate." Emma stole a glance at Regina, whose warmth was nearly palpable. "I just don't think it's…platonic."

His expression didn't change, as though he was waiting for her to finish. When she didn't say anything else, realization hit. Henry burst out laughing. "Oh, come on. Yeah, you're really funny. Ha ha." When neither of his mothers joined him in laughter, Henry's eyes grew wide as saucers. "Wait, _what?_ You're serious?"

Regina covered his hand with her own. "I know this may seem very sudden. But the truth is, there's been a sort of subtext between Emma and me for a very long time. The night of the tornado, in the basement, we finally spoke about it. The feelings were not one-sided."

A look of incredulity blanketed Henry's face. "This is not even real life right now. So you two are hooking up? Is that why you left Robin and Hook?"

"No, Henry, we're not 'hooking up'," Emma said with a frown. "And no, that's not why we left Robin and Hook. I left Killian because I wasn't happy. He wasn't what I wanted," she said, eyeing Regina again.

Henry rolled his eyes. "This is unbelievable."

"And Robin and I separated because we had both unquestioningly accepted our destiny as soulmates. As it turns out, I'm not so certain that Tinkerbell was right. Do you have a problem with this, Henry? Is it because we're both women?" Regina asked, tilting her head.

"No!" Henry exclaimed, covering his face with his hands. "This is just really, really weird. You two are barely friends, never mind anything more. I don't even know how to deal with this. Seriously. I don't."

"Well, you don't need to right now. We're here to talk about it, if you want," Emma shrugged. "I know this is a lot to absorb, and we haven't even talked about telling you. So, this was not the plan."

"Meaning you were just going to keep it from me?" he asked, looking hurt.

"No, Henry. We just wanted to be more…delicate with the delivery," Regina told him.

Emma's phone went off, a welcome distraction to interrupt the tension. "I have to go meet David at the station" she said, bringing her plate to the sink. "Vandals again."

She leaned down to Henry and whispered into his ear. "You okay, kid? I know this is weird, but nothing is really going to change, I promise."

Henry nodded sullenly, but stood to hug Emma before she left. "Actually, everything is going to change. This is insane. But whatever, if this is what makes you happy."

Emma hugged him tightly. "She does, kid. She does."

Regina came out of the laundry room again, handing Emma a yellow hoodie. "You probably shouldn't go like that," she said, tilting her head down to Emma's camisole.

"Right," Emma smiled, throwing on the sweatshirt. Regina raised her eyebrows in Henry's direction, who was getting himself something from the fridge. Emma nodded, letting her know that he was going to be fine. Regina walked her to the front door.

"So, I'll see you…tonight, maybe?" Emma asked, suddenly shy.

"Maybe," Regina teased. "You be careful out there, Sherriff." She tugged on the bottom of Emma's hoodie, looking up at her with sultry eyes.

Emma smirked. "Kiss me goodbye. It's rough out there, Regina. You never know what could happen."

Regina smiled back at her, wrapping her hands around Emma's neck like they were about to slow-dance. "Just remember," she said as Emma pulled her in by her waist, "you've got _this_ to come home to." Regina danced her tongue along Emma's bottom lip, eliciting a moan from the blonde. They kissed, softly, passionately, before Emma skipped down the front porch steps. Regina watched her go, one shoulder leaned into the doorframe. She turned back to find Henry when the Bug started up, wondering what in the hell had actually happened in the last twenty-four hours.


	16. Chapter 16

Things were good. The definition of taking it slow was somehow lost; Emma spent nearly every night at the mansion. She would duck out early in the beginning, in fear of being caught by Henry. He was warming up to the idea of his two moms actually _being_ together, but they didn't want to push it. Not yet.

How they got here, so comfortable and familiar so quickly was a mystery. Regina had been sure, _so sure_ that she was destined to be with Robin, and that her lot in life was to always to teeter on the verge of happiness, but to never truly grasp it. He was her soulmate, and that was that. Never would she have imagined that _Emma Swan_ of all people would break her from her prison of mediocrity and show her that there was more, so much more, than she had ever thought possible.

But she did. Oh, how she did. It wasn't just the sweet lady-kisses (a term Emma said she had stolen from some ridiculous TV show that Regina couldn't remember) that Emma loved to pepper her face with; it wasn't just the mind-blowing sex; it wasn't just the invisible tether that Regina both adored and feared. It was… _all_ of it. The way Emma predicted her needs, knew when to steer clear, engaged her in conversations she didn't want to have. For the first time, Regina didn't feel the need to shut herself off or push someone away. Emma promised; Regina believed.

XXX

Emma sat across from Snow at her kitchen table, picking at the banana bread she had placed in front of them. The last thing Emma wanted was for things to be awkward, but Snow wasn't making it easy.

"You haven't been home much lately," Snow fussed, spreading cream cheese on her bread. "Do I even need to ask? Have you been at _her_ house?"

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Snow smiled tightly, waving her hands to clear the air. "I don't want there to be any wedge between us, Emma. I love you very much, and you know your happiness is the most important thing to me."

"You're not acting like it," Emma smiled just as tightly back.

Snow smiled again, this time through clenched teeth. "So tell me, are you two in a relationship now?"

"I would say so, yes."

"But not in any official way?"

Emma took a long sip of her iced tea. "What do you mean? Like have we made a royal announcement? Have we signed contracts?"

"Your sarcasm is unnecessary. I was just trying to understand."

Emma couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the look on Snow's face. Maybe Snow was just a tiny bit right. Emma went from being in a fairytale (ish) romance with Killian to very quickly being entrenched in intimacy with Snow's former arch nemesis. Maybe a _little_ slack should have been given.

"You're right, Mom. I'm sorry." Emma reached forward and placed her hand on top of Snow's. "I just feel like you came at me with guns blazing when you found out about this. I didn't mean to just drop a bombshell on you and then cut you out. I really am sorry."

Snow's pinched face dissolved, relief replaced it. "Thank you, sweetheart. I can't tell you how much that means to me. I've been thinking. As much as I've been hesitant to embrace this," she swallowed, "maybe Regina will actually be good for you."

Emma's eyebrows raised. "Really? What made you come to _that_ realization?"

Shrugging, Snow looked down at the table. "What you told me the last time we talked. Maybe you need someone who's not going to back down at every turn, someone who challenges you. Someone who's fierce. Regina Mills may be lacking in certain areas, but ferocity is not one of them."

Emma chuckled softly, still holding her mother's hand. "No. No, it isn't. It's like, even though I've known for a long time there was _something_ there, that night in the basement – it all just came flooding through in this intense wave of awareness. I couldn't _not_ be with her anymore, you know? I still can't believe the feelings are reciprocated. It's surreal."

"Then I'm happy for you, Emma. Really, truly. You also said that when Regina loves, she loves all the way. That is one hundred percent true. If she hurts you, I'll kill her." Snow smiled and daintily sipped her iced tea.

XXX

"Uhhh," Emma moaned sadly as Regina pulled the shower curtain closed, one last kiss on the lips.

"Shh. Don't wake up Henry," Regina said, drying off and putting on her silky black robe.

"Please, that kid sleeps like the dead."

"Someone's at the door," Regina frowned, looking at the clock on the bathroom wall. "I'll be right back."

Regina hurried down the stairs, tightening the belt on her robe. She opened the door with her eyebrows knit, ready to give whoever the offender was a piece of her mind for showing up so late.

"I just needed to see you," Robin muttered, his eyes red with deep black circles beneath them. His whole stature was hunched and weary.

"Oh, Robin. This isn't really a good time, but if you'd like to talk, maybe we could meet at a better time? Maybe during the daylight hours?" Regina asked, running a hand through her wet hair. She would have liked to just tell him to go away, but the unease she felt as watched him standing there pushed the initial burst of anger to the back burner.

"I just want to know why, Regina. I need to get right with this in my head. Can I just have a few minutes?"

Gently, Regina shook her head. "Not now, Robin, I'm not in the right frame of mind. I was just getting ready for bed-"

Robin looked her up and down slowly. Regina cleared her throat, trying to divert his attention. "Have you been drinking?"

He shrugged. "Not much."

"Okay, well that even further solidifies it. We'll talk another time," she said more forcefully, pushing the door shut.

Robin put his hand up and stopped the door. "It'll just take a minute," he pleaded, until anger washed over his face. "He's here, isn't he? That's why you won't let me in."

"Don't be ridiculous. There is no other man here. I would like you to go."

Regina opened the door wider once more, gesturing out with her hand. Robin shook his head and started for the stairs, until a voice called down.

"Hey, who was at the door? I started to get lonely up here without you," Emma joked, towel drying the bottom of her hair as she rounded the top of the stairs. She looked down, directly into Robin's eyes.

Robin looked at Emma, back to Regina, and then back to Emma again.

"Emma," Robin said, neither a greeting nor a question.

Emma's face stiffened. Regina closed her eyes. "Everything okay, Robin?" Emma asked, slowly making her way down the stairs. She was thankful she had put on flannel pants and a tanktop instead of just coming down in her towel.

"You can't…be…serious," he stuttered, still looking between the two women. " _This_ is the man-or whatever- you left me for?" His head snapped back to Regina, still standing at the entrance of the open door.

She bristled. "I told you I didn't _leave_ you for someone else. We weren't compatible, Robin. I explained it very clearly when we spoke that day. I am very sorry that I hurt you. If you wish to discuss this further, please call me to set up a more appropriate time."

Emma stood on the stairs, unmoving. She ran her tongue along the back of her teeth, feeling the tension and aggression oozing off of Robin. She was ready if the need should arise.

"Emma Swan," Robin smirked. "Perpetual failure. Constant chaos. Dabbling in the darkness, Savior? I can assure you, her sinful nature doesn't even _begin_ to take hold until the bedroom door closes."

Emma was on him before he could finish his sentence. She had the top of his shirt balled in her fist, ready to strike until Regina stopped her.

"He's not worth it. Let him go." She stoked the small of Emma's back, no longer caring what Robin did or didn't know, felt or didn't feel.

Emma complied, slowly, the rage never leaving her eyes, and her eyes never leaving Robin's. He adjusted himself, posturing.

"You're weak Regina. Just one more sad little character who can't accept that her only link to happiness is standing right in front of her. You're too afraid, too _weak_. Good luck saving this one, _Savior,"_ he spat, stumbling out the door and down the front steps, cursing as he went. Regina slammed the door behind him.

"You okay?" Emma asked, rubbing her arm. "He's wrong, Regina-"

Regina gave her a watery smile, before wiping away the tears that failed her façade. "I know he is. I'm just…rattled. I never saw that side of him before we split up. He always came off as so docile and easygoing. It does ease some of the guilt, so I guess there's one upside."

Emma hugged her tightly. "You're probably the strongest person I know, don't let anything he said get to you. When I think of - seriously. I love you," she said matter-of-factly. And then she stopped breathing.

Regina froze in her arms, desperately wondering if she should acknowledge it, ignore it, or pretend that she didn't hear it and ask Emma to repeat herself. Too much time was ticking away, they stayed in the same position, neither one moving. Had she meant to say it? Was it just one of those things said in the heat of the moment, Emma trying to soften his harsh words? Regina felt Emma begin to slowly pull away, her grip deflating.

"I love you too," Regina whispered, pulling Emma tightly against her once again. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting quietly for the fall of the apocalypse she was certain of.

"Ohthankgod," Emma breathed out in a fury, clutching onto Regina's back, burying her head in her neck, ignoring the cold of Regina's still-wet hair.

They pulled away slowly, brown eyes boring into green. "So, um, that was big?" Emma said softly, pulling on her bottom lip.

"Yes, I agree. That was…big."

"Well, come on then," Emma smiled, hoisting Regina up over her shoulder, ignoring her squeal. "I am the Savior, and apparently I've got some saving to do. No time like the present," she said, making her way up the stairs. Regina laughed, her position of being carried like a ragdoll not one she was familiar with. She ran her thumb over Emma's ink-settled lion tattoo. "I love you," she said again, firmly, absolute.

Outside, the wind howled.

 **END.**

 **A/N** \- Thank you all so much for the follows, favorites, and especially the comments! This has been a lot of fun to write, and I hope it was just as fun to read. Please let me know if you enjoyed it!


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